Cranberries! A Super Food for a Super Dessert
You deserve a cake today. I mean… a break, you deserve a break today.
Aw heck, I mean…both! You deserve a break and a cake today!
If you like cranberries (and maybe even if you don’t… yet), this one’s for you and yours. Maybe it’s for yours, if you decide to share, that is.
I love cranberries.
Cape Cod, known as the Cranberry Capital, is “just down the Pike” from us. I’ve always loved passing the cranberry bogs on our way to vacation on the Cape.
I must confess that those cranberry bogs were a bit of a mystery to me, until I actually saw a harvest. And then. Then cranberries really became a staple for me during harvest season.
The cranberry bogs, flooded with fresh water to bring up all those shiny, buoyant little fruits in beautiful shades of burgundy, herded up like minuscule cattle… a sight to see I tell ya’!
It’s simply no wonder that cranberries seem to have an energy all of their own…
Why Love Cranberries?
Reason Number Uno:
First, they’re a “super food”. Those gorgeous little berries pack a big health benefit punch. Boy, you do a search on the health benefits of cranberries and the list keeps growing, but here are a just a few convincing reasons to eat cranberries:
CRANBERRIES:
- Are very high in antioxidants – they help reduce inflammation and delay/prevent cell damage in the body, helping to prevent cancers. This also makes them good for the skin.
- Improve brain health due to their high flavonoid content
- Are fantastic for gut health as they help reduce bad microbes and increase beneficial bacteria. This shows promise in helping to reduce the chance of colon and gastrointestinal cancers.
- Help prevent cavities (well that was a new one by me!)
- Help prevent UTIs (urinary tract infections)
- Improve heart health by lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels (LDL) while raising the good ones (HDL)
All that being said, if you’re on blood thinners or are prone to kidney stones, then moderation is key there.
My final word on the health benefits of cranberries… if they are dehydrated, loaded with sugar and preservatives (as many “craisin” types are), or if they’re in sweetened juice form, it kind of negates those health benefits.
Does that also include my crustless cranberry pie/cake? Maybe kind of. We can minimize some of the more “damaging” ingredients with some swaps anyhow. And if you’re planning on serving desserts at the holidays, this one may be a bit healthier than some, without losing any of the decadence!
Reason Numero 2:
The second reason for loving cranberries is their taste. Their tartness is like a party in your mouth! If you’ve ever bitten into a warm, whole cranberry inside a muffin or a bowl of baked oatmeal, then you know what I’m talking about. That warm, soft cranberry literally explodes in your mouth and is a food experience like no other.
As soon as those bags of cranberries hit the markets, I start buying. Next thing you know, I’m looking for ways to add them to everything! Brussels sprouts, apple cider vinegar, the Thanksgiving chutney, the aforementioned oatmeal and muffins, in lemon cookies. And new this year, this crustless cranberry pie/cake.
Crustless Cranberry Pie. Cake. Whatever...
The recipe was so simple that I was skeptical and hooked at the same time!
Despite the fact that my Mom always says, “Don’t try new recipes on guests!”, and is unequivocally correct, I can’t help but do it anyway in my excitement. (I can just see my mom shaking her head at me.)
And this time, well, I made the recipe 3 times. Three.
So I found this recipe on, where else, Pinterest. That’s where the “skeptical” part came in. Boy, I’ve turned out a few doozies from Pinterest sites. Some real bombs. And not, “Man, “Dis is da BOMB!” type bomb either.
The recipe was from allrecipes (link below) with excellent reviews so I figured, what the heck? How bad can it be?
The recipe was mega easy with ingredients most of us already have on hand.
Here’s the original recipe I found:
Crustless Cranberry Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cranberries
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch pie pan.
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add cranberries and walnuts, and toss to coat. Stir in melted butter, beaten eggs, and almond extract. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted near the center comes our clean, about 40 minutes. Serve warm.
Super simple, right?
I decided on a few modifications. It seemed like a pretty forgiving recipe that would allow for some personalized variations. I was thinking of future trials of lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla extract, pecans, slivered almonds, Lily’s chocolate chips…
SOoooo…here are my three, yes three, variations:
Variation 1: I used vanilla extract, a small handful of extra walnuts and extra cranberries, and half the amount of sugar, using raw, organic sugar. And organic flour. In a 9″ pie plate. Baking time was about 30 minutes.
Variation 2: The 2nd pie/cake I made in a 9in square glass baking dish. I added even more cranberries (almost 3 cups) and 1 cup of walnuts. I used only 1 egg (because the only laying my chickens are currently doing is laying themselves off for the winter. Must. Hoard. Last. Dozen!) and 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. Baking time in my heavy old square dish was about 33 minutes.
Variation 3:The 3rd pie/cake I did the same as the 2nd but also added orange zest and two-ish tablespoons of juice from same orange.
The Blue Ribbon goes to…All of them! Woo hoo!!!
Like I said, it seems to be a very forgiving recipe able to withstand some modifications.
After raving like a lunatic about how FABULOUS this pie/cake came out, starring those little cranberry powerhouses, I realized that my defiance in trying a new recipe on guests actually worked this time! See Mom? (And yessss, I can see more head shaking and hear her saying “You got lucky this time Elizabeth Ann!”) And again, Mom is always right!
Special Dietary Needs?
Have special dietary needs? Try these suggestions, but please know that I haven’t tried them as of yet with this recipe so I’m making no guarantees. In the past, I have made these substitutions in other recipes with success, however.
Try Bob’s 1:1 Flour for gluten free concerns. I love this flour and often sub it just because I like the final results and texture better.
Keto? Diabetic? Don’t like using processed sugar? Nine.9 out of 10 times I don’t either, so I often use Whole Earth Sweetener Co baking blend, or maple syrup or honey, mashed ripe banana or raw organic sugar if there’s no other substitute.
Vegetarian? Vegan? Egg substitutions can include flax seed, applesauce, mashed banana, yogurt, and tofu. Applesauce or ghee for the butter can work too.
Cranberry Pie/Cake Official Status?
So many recipes that I try never make it to “Official Status”…the good old fashioned recipe card. This one did. I think it’s even going to make it to the tea towel for Christmas gifts this year. (Stay tuned for an upcoming post on special gift ideas!)
So there it is, Happy Holidays and Happy Baking, my friends! Because, well, you deserve a break today! An easy as pie, cake walk of a recipe made a little healthier…naturally!
P.S. Are you wondering why I HAD to make 3?
P.S. Are you wondering why I HAD to make three? And whatever happened to the first two pie/cakes that I made on Friday?
Well, the first one I made was to serve on Sunday at a pre-Thanksgiving dinner we were having.
The second one I made was so that my husband and I could try a quarter of it that night. The other quarter was to give to my parents the next day. I planned to give the other half to this awesome guy and his awesome son, who deliver drums of oil to my husband, who were also coming the next day.
So why the third one? Well…The 3rd one I made was to replace the first one because there was nothing left for my parents to try on Saturday. And by Saturday night, there was nothing left at all. So I had to make that 3rd one for Sunday’s guests!
The lesson from detailed story? Plan on making at least two! Happy baking!
Don’t be afraid
to take
whisks!
-Unknown
