Friday, November 21, 2008

Cranberry Apple "Casserole"

This is a dish my family has been making since I was in middle school. It's one of my all-time holiday favorites and is another of those"side dishes" we Southerners love to serve; it could double as a dessert if you need it to because it is practically a cranberry apple crisp.... My cousin Sara doctored it up rather divinely last Thanksgiving--see below for her Gingered Cranberry-Apple-Pear Creation. And the leftovers are good any time of the day or night!

Cranberry Apple Part
3-4 c. chopped apples (we prefer Macintosh)
2 c. fresh cranberries
1/2 c. water (start with less)
2-3 T. flour
1/3-1/2 c. white sugar

Combine above ingredients, using the smaller amount of sugar if planning this as a side dish. You want the fruit to be slightly gummy from the flour/water, but not runny (they will secrete all kinds of juices as they cook). Top with topping (below). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (this fits into an 8x8-inch size pan or something similar--we use a round Corningware).

Topping
1 1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 stick real butter
1/3 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine mixture and sprinkle on top of apples.

Gingered Cranberry-Apple-Pear Creation

This is for those intuitive cookers!

Proceed as above, except substitute a pear or two for some of the apples. Add some crystallized ginger to the topping!

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