Cream Cheese Cranberry Muffins

This recipe is from my sister, Amy.  She made them for us when we were visiting at Mom's house.  They are so delicious!  I believe they are from a Taste of Home magazine.

Cream Cheese Cranberry Muffins

1 cup butter, softened
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir into creamed mixture just until moistened.  Fold in cranberries and pecans.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.  Serve warm.  Makes 2 dozen.

Cranberry Slush Revisited

Are you all busy getting some pre-Turkey Day preparations done?  Don't forget this super delicious and easy to make Cranberry Slush drink!  Freeze it up today so that it will be ready for tomorrow's feast!

Cranberry Slush  

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Cranberry Chili Sausage Bites

Just when you thought you couldn't do anything else with a can of whole berry cranberry sauce...I introduce to you Cranberry Chili Sausage Links.  It has the best flavor.  Nice for something different besides the normal bar-b-que sauce that is usually served with this type of dish.  This is great as an appetizer or hors d'œuvre or it can be made into more of a main dish.  The last time I made it I served it over brown rice.  Plenty of sauce to soak into the rice.  And the sauce is delicious.  You'd never guess what was in it.  With only three ingredients and being cooked in a crockpot, it makes a very fast and easy dish for a party or meal.

Cranberry Chili Sausage Bites

1 (12-oz.) bottle Chili Sauce
1 (14-oz.) can Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
2 (16-oz.) ring cooked Polish sausage or kielbasa (You could probably use those Lil' Smokies as well)

In a medium sized crockpot, combine chili sauce and cranberry sauce.  Slice sausage into 1/2-1 inch wide circles (depending on how big you want your bites.)  Mix with sauce.  Turn crockpot on high and heat until bubbling and sausage is warm.  Serve with toothpicks as an hors d'œuvre or over brown rice.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

This is the best cranberry sauce!  I got the recipe from my sister Heather.  It only has 4 ingredients and you don't cook it at all!  What could be more simple!  We're not big cranberry sauce eaters normally but this one is so good and fresh and so different that we all eat it up.  Be sure to make it the day before so the flavors can blend.  You're supposed to chop all of the fruit in the food processor but I don't have one.  I just use my Pampered Chef chopper.  Heather also recommends chopping each type of fruit individually to make sure it all gets chopped, then add it together and stir.  This is what I did and it was perfect.  You can chop it as much or as little as you prefer.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

1 bag fresh cranberries
1 large orange
1 large apple (crisp red variety works best)
1 c. sugar

Sort and wash cranberries.  Chop in food processor.  Cut up apple and orange and chop in a food processor.  Mix fruit together with sugar and let stand in refrigerator overnight.  Stir before serving.

Cranberry Crumb Bars

Since it's still the holidays, you can take advantage of the great sales on canned cranberry sauce and make these.  I like to stock up so that I can make treats like these during the year.  I found this recipe in a Taste of Homes magazine 8 years ago and made them for Tory and I for our first Christmas together.  We loved them and have been making them ever since.  They have a crust that is like shortbread, a cream cheese layer,  a cranberry layer, and then a crumb topping.  Delicious together!

Cranberry Crumb Bars

Crust:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. powdered sugar
3/4 c. cold butter
Filling:
1 (8 oz.)  package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 (16 oz.) can whole-berry cranberry sauce
Topping:
1/3 c. flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 c. cold butter
3/4 c. finely chopped walnuts

-Combine flour and powdered sugar; cut in butter until crumbly.  Press into a greased 9x13 and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 min. or until edges are lightly browned.  Reduce heat to 325.

-In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add milk and lemon juice; mix well.  Pour over crust.

-In a bowl, combine the cornstarch and brown sugar.  Stir in cranberry sauce until combined.  Spoon over cream cheese layer.

-For topping, combine the flour and brown sugar in a bowl; cut in butter.  Fold in walnuts.  Sprinkle over filling.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 min. or until topping is golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.  Cover and chill ofr 3 hours before cutting.

Cranberry Slush

I found this recipe on This Week for Dinner and had to try it for Thanksgiving.  It was sooo good!  We're definitely going to be making this each year.  I might try to figure out how to halve the recipe next time though.  It made a ton!  So yummy though.  The cranberry flavor was perfect for dinner.  I have to post the recipe here so I'll always have it.  You'll need a fine wire/mesh strainer for this recipe.  You can find one at Wal-mart for just under $3.00.  There's a reason I know that... :)

Cranberry Slush

There are two versions – the original and the quick. I did the quick version and it’s fantastic.  This is the one she usually uses, too.


Quick Recipe:


- 4 cans whole cranberry sauce
- 3 quarts cranberry juice cocktail
- 2 quarts ginger ale

Run 4 cans of whole cranberry sauce through collander. Discard cranberry skins (or save them for something else.)  Add 2 quarts cranberry juice. Freeze. When ready to serve, mash up frozen cranberries with 1 quart cranberry juice and 2 quarts ginger ale.

*Hint:  When combining the juice and ginger ale with the frozen mixture, do a little at a time so it stays slushy otherwise it won't be as slushy.  You kind of have to mash the frozen mixture with the liquids as you go.

You'll have to push the sauce through with a spoon, leaving just the skins behind.  These can be discarded.
Original Recipe:


- 1 lb cranberries
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 2 quarts cranberry juice cocktail
- 2 quarts ginger ale

Cook cranberries, sugar and water until thickens. Run through collander. Add 1 quart cranberry juice. Freeze. When ready to serve, mash up frozen cranberries with 1 quart cranberry juice and 2 quarts ginger ale.

This is what the cranberry sauce looks like after you run it through the mesh collander.

REAL Crannberry Sauce

My husband makes a really good Cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving and anytime you enjoy a turkey.

1 bag of Cranberries
3/8 cup of Sweetner (We used Agave Nectar)
1 cups water

You mix the water and sweetner to a very light boil then add the cranberries. (Cranberries will pop) Stir until thickens. Let it cool until room temperature, and then refrigerate. Serve Chilled. We usually make ours the day prior.

Hope you enjoy!