Cranberry Fall

I pretty much love all things cranberry.  So imagine my delight when I found some new things to do with cranberry and they are out of this world.  The first is a cranberry/blueberry wine sauce. 

What to Use: 

one 8-ounce bag fresh cranberries
6-ounces frozen blueberries (about 1 1/2 cups), unthawed
1 cup cabernet sauvignon (or shiraz, merlot, or a favorite red wine)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste
What To Do:

1.  Put everything in a medium to large saucepan, and bring it to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Make sure your saucepan has room for the sauce to at least triple in volume. The juices from the berries release and as the mixture boils rapidly, it will foam and a too-small pan will easily overflow. (I can say this from experience....too big is better than too small)

2.  Reduce heat to low and allow sauce to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until reduced and thickened slightly, and most of the cranberries have burst. Sauce will thicken more as it cools.

3.  Transfer to heat-safe jars or containers with lids. I used Ball jars and made cute little toppers for them.  Allow your sauce to cool at room temperature before refrigerating. Sauce will keep airtight in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.

I used to be part of a Ladies Guild that made and sold Cheese Balls each year as a fund raiser.  We made a great profit doing this.  We had six different ones and we would get together several times and make and freeze cheese balls to get ready for pick up day.  The cheese balls we made were awesome.  So I decided to make Recipe two a killer Cranberry Cheese Ball.  This would be great for that preThanksgiving meal sampling or just to have around in case someone drops in.  Make sure you have plenty of crackers on hand.

What to Use:

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

8 ounces good quality sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

crackers

What To Do:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the pecans in an even layer. Bake for about 5 minutes and then remove from the oven.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and the cheddar cheese. Add in the pecans, salt, and the Worcestershire sauce. Continue mixing for another minute or two until everything is well-combined. Remove the mixture from the bowl and form into a ball with your hands. Wrap the formed ball in plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.

3.  Remove the chilled cheese ball. Using small handfuls at a time, place dried cranberries all over the cheese ball, pushing in lightly to secure them into place. Try to cover as much of the cheese ball as possible (except the bottom). Serve or cover and place back into the fridge until serving. Serve with crackers.

My third recipe is for Cranberry Fluff.  This stuff is heavenly.

What to Use:

1 14-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed (see note below for alternative)
3 cups of mini marshmallows.

What to Do:

In a large bowl I, stir together cranberry sauce and crushed pineapple. Fold in whipped topping until thoroughly combined. Stir in Mini Campfire® Marshmallows. Cover and chill for at least two hours before serving.  This keeps for 3 days in the fridge
I hope you enjoy trying them.  Happy Holiday Eating!