Pies are a Thanksgiving staple, but sometimes can be tedious to make. When I want the flavors of a pie without all the work, I opt for a free-form tart, like this beauty.
This is a really simple dessert, but taking the time to cut the pears into fancy fans makes it a showstopper.
I’ve been feeling like I’m barely keeping up since school started. Every time I feel like I’m getting ahead, something happens that knocks me back a few days. Currently, the little one is on day five of a fever.
With all the craziness, I’ve been opting for kitchen projects that will make things easier for me – like these breakfast cookies.
Haven’t finalized your Thanksgiving menu yet? Need to add another side dish? I’m sharing a roundup of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes to help you get your menu set!
I received complimentary products in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.
You know what I realized this week? For the last five Thanksgivings, I’ve been nursing or pregnant (or both). Five. In a row.
Suffice it to say things have swung in the opposite direction this year and it’s making me obsess over the perfect Thanksgiving cocktail. But, as a woman who has (very recently) been there, I know I want to have a mocktail on the menu too – not only for pregnant and/or nursing crowd but also for the designated drivers, kids, and people who would just rather not have the alcohol.
Looking for the perfect treat for breakfast on Thanksgiving or Christmas? Look no further than these Cranberry Pecan Doughnuts!
You know what I love more than holiday dinners? Holiday breakfasts. Dinners always seem to demand a certain amount of structure and tradition – but anything goes for breakfast.
These Cranberry Pecan Doughnuts are on point with the seasonal flavors, but they’re not fussy and can be made the day before, so they’re perfect for a holiday.
The pecans and cranberries are chopped pretty small using the food processor, which makes an even flavor and texture throughout the doughnuts. There’s also orange juice and zest in these. The orange flavor doesn’t come through strong, but it does add a nice balance!
I’m excited to be sharing this recipe as part of Cranberry Week – now in it’s third year! See all the tasty cranberry recipes being shared today below and follow #cranberryweek on social media for more ideas all week long.
Cranberry Pecan Doughnuts
(from Inspiring Pretty)
Makes 1 dozen
For the doughnuts:
3/4 cup cranberries
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. orange zest
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cups milk
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. orange zest
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and spray your doughnut pans with non-stick spray.
Add the cranberries, pecans, and brown sugar to a food processor. Process until chopped into small, even pieces.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a larger bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and sugar until creamed. Stir in the vanilla, eggs, and orange zest. Stir in some of the flour mixture, then some of the milk – alternating until all combined, ending with milk. Stir in the cranberry mixture.
Spoon the batter evenly into the doughnut pans, filling halfway. Bake for 10-14 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool completely.
When the doughnuts are cool, add all of the glaze ingredients to a small bowl and stir until well combined. Drizzle or pipe over the doughnuts.
Cranberry Orange muffins are my favorite. I love cranberry and orange together, and this time of year always feels like muffin weather. Curl up with one of these and a hot beverage and you’ve got the perfect fall treat.
These are an easy one to mix up and I love that it makes a relatively small batch – great for a small family brunch.
The flavors are bright. Orange juice and orange zest make the batter a sunny color, and the fresh cranberries add a great tart bite to these. I love these fresh out of the oven, but you can also pop them in the oven or toaster to warm up the next day and they’re also fabulous.
I’m excited to be sharing this recipe as part of Cranberry Week – now in it’s third year! See all the tasty cranberry recipes being shared today below and follow #cranberryweek on social media for more ideas all week long.
Cranberry Orange Muffins
(from Joyful Healthy Eats)
Makes 12 Muffins
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup cranberries
1 egg
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp. grated orange zest
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake papers.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in cranberries.
In another bowl, whisk together the egg, orange juice, orange zest, and coconut oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.
What is the typical Thanksgiving weather where you are?
I was recently chatting about Thanksgiving plans with a far-flung friend and she mentioned wearing shorts on Thanksgiving. It struck me as funny, because it is so not what I think of as Thanksgiving weather. We’re lucky if it’s warm enough to go for a walk after dinner without getting totally bundled up!
It also got me thinking about how much different my Thanksgiving dinner would be if it was warm outside. Is it weird to have cranberry apple crisp when it’s 90 degrees out?
Ice cream seems way more appealing – and this would be perfect on a Thanksgiving table. It’s a perfect balance of sweet and tart and I just love the color. It’s also a great option for Thanksgiving because you make it ahead – giving you more free time to focus on the rest of the meal!
I’m excited to be sharing this recipe as part of Cranberry Week – now in it’s third year! See all the tasty cranberry recipes being shared today below and follow #cranberryweek on social media for more ideas all week long.
Cranberry Ice Cream
(from Wonky Wonderful)
Makes 1/2 gallon
Cranberry Puree:
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
12 oz. fresh cranberries cleaned & sorted
2 Tbsp. orange juice
Ice Cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups cranberry puree
Combine the water, salt, and cranberries in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 6-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Transfer the cranberry mixture to a blender or food processor and add orange juice. Puree.
Refrigerate for several hours.
To make the ice cream, mix together the cream, milk, sugar and cranberry puree. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Transfer the ice cream to a chilled container and freeze for at least 4-6 hours. Thaw for 5 minutes before serving.
Leftover turkey + leftover cranberry sauce = pizza night, of course.
I’ve always preferred to reimagine my turkey leftovers into non-Thanksgiving fare – like Turkey Cranchiladas or Turkey and Chorizo Hash – and this pizza fits right in. The cranberry sauce gives you a slightly sweet, slightly tart edge to your barbecue sauce – and it pairs awesome with the turkey and cheese.
This is a great dish to make at the end of the weekend when your turkey and stuffing sandwiches are getting tired!
(Leftover) Turkey and Cranberry BBQ Sauce Pizza
(slightly adapted from Recipe Runner)
Makes 1 12″ Pizza
1/2 lb. pizza dough
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
3 Tbsp. barbecue sauce
1 cup turkey, shredded
1 1/2 cups mozzarella
2 Tbsp. red onion, thinly sliced
Chopped cilantro, to taste
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Roll out the pizza dough and place on the prepared baking sheet.
In a small bowl, stir together the cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce and spread over the crust. Top with turkey, cheese, and red onion.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden.
Top with cilantro and serve.
Looking for more leftover ideas? I’ve teamed up with a bunch of great bloggers today to share lots of great ways to use up your leftovers:
Cranberry-Orange Brie Bites by Books n’ Cooks
Cranberry-Topped Baked Brie by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
(Leftover) Turkey and Cranberry BBQ Sauce Pizza by Kate’s Recipe Box
Prosciutto & Asiago Stuffed Mushrooms by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Spicy Turkey Quesadillas by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Thanksgiving Leftover Empanadas by The Redhead Baker
Turkey Croquettes by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Turkey Gumbo by Palatable Pastime
Turkey Pot Pie by Making Miracles
I hosted Thanksgiving for years before I tried making my own cranberry sauce. I always assumed it would be difficult and not worth it. It’s not – and it is.
This only takes about fifteen minutes to make and tastes so, so much better than the canned version. It’s also make-ahead friendly and is the perfect dish to bring with you if you’re travelling because it can be served warm, cold, or at room temp.
Cranberry Sauce
(from Savory Sweet Life)
Makes about 2 cups
1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
3/4 cup orange juice
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is mostly evaporated.
You’ll hear the cranberries popping as this cooks – that’s okay! You want them to open up!
This can be served warm, chilled, or at room temperature.
Yes, January is almost over. And yes, I’m just now sorting through my Christmas pictures. Apparently this is life with two kids.
To be fair, all of the good family pictures and such were on my phone. I really need to get better at my camera!
I did find this, though. A quick shot of a delicious dessert – so I just had to share. If you’re someone who doesn’t like overly sweet desserts, this is for you. The tart cranberries and apples offset the sugar in this nicely.
I recommend serving it warm with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Heavenly!
Cranberry Apple Crisp
(from The Blonde Cook)
Serves 6-8
For the filling:
3 cups cored, chopped and peeled granny smith apples
2 1/2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
For the crisp:
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 11×7 baking dish with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour for the filling. Stir in the cranberries and apples and mix, gently, until evenly combined. Pour into prepared baking dish.
In another bowl, stir together all topping ingredients until well combined. Sprinkle evenly over fruit mixture.
Bake for 50 minutes, until edges are bubbly and fruit is tender.