Cranberry Craze

Cranberries just say Holiday Foods to me! Their bright color and tart taste go well with all the favorites from Thanksgiving through January.  History stories tell us that the Indians mixed cranberries with animal fat to make pemmican, a stable in their meals. Supposedly, they shared this with the Pilgrims on the first Thanksgiving. We do know that cranberries are native to New England and are grown in fields surrounded by raised edges to allow flooding to float the cranberries for harvest. Later, in the Civil War, General Grant ordered cranberry sauce for his troops.
Maybe these native and early Americans were taking advantage of the foods that were plentiful and available, but maybe they also realized the health benefits of cranberries. Besides being high in vitamin C (good for those Pilgrims who had been at sea for months) and fiber; we now know that cranberries are a good source of anthocyanins that help protect the cardiovascular system, and antioxidants which have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.
Cranberries are naturally low in calories, but many of the recipes (including the one I'll share) have added sugar and butter, increasing their calories and making them a bit less healthy. Take comfort in enjoying some health benefits while watching the portion size!
We had an early Thanksgiving dinner this weekend, and one of the dishes I took to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law's was this Cranberry Bar dessert. It is from Bonnie Aeschliman's collection. She reports serving these at her store's Open House "Cooking With Bonnie" in Wichita, and it has been featured in the Wichita Eagle which she also writes for. I took a class from Bonnie at her shop recently and greatly enjoyed it. The recipes she demonstrated were from her book "Farm to France",  I can't wait to try more of them.

Ultimate Cranberry Bars

Base:

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup packed light brown sugar

¾ cup cold butter, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes

Topping:

1 cup butter

1 ⅔cups granulated sugar

¼ cup light corn syrup

½ teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups pecans, toasted and cooled, then coarsely chopped

Garnish: 2 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

Special equipment: candy thermometer

1.     For the Base: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10 x 15-inch shallow baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two short sides. Butter foil sides, but not the bottom.

2.     Blend flour, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor, then add butter and pulse until mixture begins to form small (roughly pea-size) lumps. Sprinkle into baking pan, then press down firmly all over to form an even layer. Bake in middle of oven until golden and firm to the touch, 15 – 17 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack.

3.     For the Topping: Melt butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat and stir in sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Boil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel registers 245 degrees on candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Carefully stir in cranberries, then boil until caramel returns to 245 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, then stir in pecans until well coated. Working quickly, spread caramel topping over base using a fork to distribute nuts and berries evenly. Cool completely.

4.     Lift bars in foil from pan and transfer to a cutting board.

5.     Place white chocolate in microwave-safe container and microwave on medium-high for 30 seconds, stirring every 10 seconds until melted. Transfer chocolate to a small disposable pastry bag (or plastic bag). Snip off a small opening at the end. Pipe chocolate decoratively over top. Let stand at room temperature until chocolate sets, about 1 hour. Cut into small squares or bars.