CHOCOLATE COVERED CRANBERRIES: National Cranberry Day!

Today is National Cranberry Day. I love cranberries--in muffins, in bread, in brownies, and cookies--and, of course, cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving. I like both fresh and dried cranberries. You can buy Chocolate Covered Cranberries from lots of chocolatiers and stores (Trader Joe's) or you can make your own. It's really easy! 

History of Cranberries (from the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association)

The cranberry, along with the blueberry and Concord grape, is one of North America's three native fruits that are commercially grown. Cranberries were first used by Native Americans, who discovered the wild berry's versatility as a food, fabric dye and healing agent. Today, cranberries are commercially grown throughout the northern part of the United States and are available in both fresh and processed forms.

The name "cranberry" derives from the Pilgrim name for the fruit, "craneberry", so called because the small, pink blossoms that appear in the spring resemble the head and bill of a Sandhill crane. European settlers adopted the Native American uses for the fruit and found the berry a valuable bartering tool.

American whalers and mariners carried cranberries on their voyages to prevent scurvy. In 1816, Captain Henry Hall became the first to successfully cultivate cranberries. By 1871, the first association of cranberry growers in the United States had formed, and now, U.S. farmers harvest approximately 40,000 acres of cranberries each year.

Here are two recipes for Chocolate Covered Cranberries: One uses fresh cranberries and one uses dried cranberries. You'll love the tart and sweet together! Perfect for Thanksgiving or any time!

1. CHOCOLATE COVERED CRANBERRIES (dried)

Ingredients
4 ounces Dark or Milk Chocolate
1/2 cup dried, sweetened Cranberries

Directions
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt chocolate in double boiler or in glass bowl in microwave. Once melted, remove from heat.
Add cranberries to chocolate. Stir until coated. Remove coated cranberries with two forks or slotted spoon (this works very well), shaking off excess chocolate on side of bowl. Transfer to lined baking sheet.
Put baking sheet in refrigerator until chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes.
Store in refrigerator.

Want to make Chocolate Covered Cranberries with Fresh Cranberries? Here's another great and easy recipe. 


2. CHOCOLATE COVERED CRANBERRIES (fresh)
Recipe adapted from Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association.

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate-if very dark, add a little sugar when melting the chocolate with shortening)
2 tablespoons shortening (butter)

Directions
Melt chocolate and butter (and sugar if you're using dark chocolate) over low heat, stirring frequently until melted.
Dip cranberries in chocolate until coated (remove from mixture with slotted spoon or two forks).
Place on wax paper (or parchment paper on a cookie sheet).
Refrigerate until firm.

CHOCOLATE COVERED CRANBERRIES: National Cranberries Day!

Today is National Cranberry Day I love cranberries--in muffins, in bread, in brownies, and cookies--and, of course, cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving. I like both fresh and dried cranberries. You can buy Chocolate Covered Cranberries from lots of chocolatiers and stores (Trader Joe's) or you can make your own. It's really easy! 


History of Cranberries (from the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association)

The cranberry, along with the blueberry and Concord grape, is one of North America's three native fruits that are commercially grown. Cranberries were first used by Native Americans, who discovered the wild berry's versatility as a food, fabric dye and healing agent. Today, cranberries are commercially grown throughout the northern part of the United States and are available in both fresh and processed forms.

The name "cranberry" derives from the Pilgrim name for the fruit, "craneberry", so called because the small, pink blossoms that appear in the spring resemble the head and bill of a Sandhill crane. European settlers adopted the Native American uses for the fruit and found the berry a valuable bartering tool.

American whalers and mariners carried cranberries on their voyages to prevent scurvy. In 1816, Captain Henry Hall became the first to successfully cultivate cranberries. By 1871, the first association of cranberry growers in the United States had formed, and now, U.S. farmers harvest approximately 40,000 acres of cranberries each year. 


Here are two recipes for Chocolate Covered Cranberries: One uses fresh cranberries and one uses dried cranberries. You'll love the tart and sweet together! Put them out on the Thanksgiving table or serve them while watching the game!

1. CHOCOLATE COVERED CRANBERRIES (dried)

Ingredients
4 ounces Dark or Milk Chocolate
1/2 cup dried, sweetened Cranberries

Directions
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt chocolate in double boiler or in glass bowl in microwave. Once melted, remove from heat.
Add cranberries to chocolate. Stir until coated. Remove coated cranberries with two forks or slotted spoon (this works very well), shaking off excess chocolate on side of bowl. Transfer to lined baking sheet.
Put baking sheet in refrigerator until chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes.
Store in refrigerator.

Want to make Chocolate Covered Cranberries with Fresh Cranberries? Here's another great and easy recipe. 


2. CHOCOLATE COVERED CRANBERRIES (fresh)
Recipe adapted from Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association.

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate-if very dark, add a little sugar when melting the chocolate with shortening)
2 tablespoons shortening (butter)

Directions
Melt chocolate and butter (and sugar if you're using dark chocolate) over low heat, stirring frequently until melted.
Dip cranberries in chocolate until coated (remove from mixture with slotted spoon or two forks).
Place on wax paper (or parchment paper on a cookie sheet).
Refrigerate until firm.

Cranberry Fudge Pie

Since today is National Cranberry Day, I'm going to make this fabulous pie. It's also perfect for Thanksgiving, a great alternative to pumpkin pie.

I'm a big fan of King Arthur Flour, not just the flour, but all the food products, pans, videos, and more. Great gluten-free help for the holidays, too! Love their recipes, too. I'm signed up for email updates, and you might want to do that, too. If I hadn't, I might have missed this incredible Recipe for Cranberry Fudge Pie a few years ago.

For the crust, you can always use a prepared graham cracker crust, but it's so easy to make one yourself. As always use the very best chocolate and other ingredients! I've kept the link to glazing sugar. Definitely great to have in your pantry. I'm all about easy, and this recipe is simple!

CRANBERRY FUDGE PIE

Crust
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (One cellophane-wrapped packet of graham crackers (11 whole crackers) will yield this amount of crumbs)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar
6 Tbsp melted sweet butter

Filling
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate (Don't use bittersweet chocolate; with the acidic tang of the cranberries, it's just too much. You want a dark chocolate that's sweet; most chocolate chips will be fine)
2/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup diced walnuts or pecans

Topping
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
1 cup dried cranberries (I use Trader Joe's-they're always in my pantry)
12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries, a generous 3 cups
You'll need about 15 ounces (a scant 1-1/2 cups) topping for the pie.

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F.

To Make Crust: 
Process graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter in food processor until crumbly and well combined.
Press into bottom and up sides of 9" pie pan.
Bake crust for about 7 to 8 minutes, until set, but not brown. Remove from oven and cool.

To Make Filling: 
Put chips (or chopped chocolate) and cream in  microwave-safe container, and heat for about 90 seconds.
Remove from microwave, and stir until mixture becomes smooth and dark brown; you're simply making a basic ganache.  (I tend to do this in a pot over a pot over simmering water)
Spoon hot ganache into cooled crust, and sprinkle nuts on top.
Refrigerate pie for at 2 hours, until ganache firms up.
While pie is chilling, make topping.

To Make Topping:
Bring sugar, salt, and cranberry juice to a boil.
Stir in dried cranberries, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add fresh or frozen cranberries, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until some of berries have burst.
Remove the cranberries from heat, spoon into bowl, and chill.

To Finish Assembling Pie: 
Spoon 1-1/2 cups cranberry sauce on top of fudge/nut filling.
Chill until ready to serve.

Photo: King Arthur Flour