New Years Eve: Cranberry Dessert and Delight

Cranberry Delight before popping into the oven…doesn’t this look cool?

Recipe: Cranberry Dessert

Every family has their own holiday traditions. Some festive and fun, others thoughtful and giving, and if we’re being honest probably the occasional temper tantrum and meltdown thrown in for good measure. Growing up our family covered all of these in the bustling weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years. There was the opening of the Fox Hunt on Thanksgiving Day complete will mulled cider and pinks (Festive), the careful crafting of Christmas Wish Lists (Fun), the sneaky questions and leading suggestions to figure out what my Mom wanted besides bird seed and socks (Thoughtful), and the UNICEF box at our dining room table we put change into each day to go to children in need (Giving).

There was the selecting of the tree and the inevitable fight that ensued between my brother and myself (Tantrum) and the decorating it “just so” to match my Mom’s Victorian sensibilities (Meltdown).  [To be fair I should admit that I subsequently insist on decorating the tree “just so” with white lights and wooden ornaments, so who’s laughing now?]

There were also the meals that came along with each of these activities…Spicy New England Pot Roast (a favorite of my Dads), German Apple Pancakes (Brother Ben’s coveted Christmas Morning meal), and Cranberry Dessertwhich held, and holds, universal appeal.

This is quick to make and is even better the next day so is a perfect dessert for that Holiday festive dinner. The tartness of the cranberries makes it a nice complement to a rich meal, and just try to forget immediately upon making it how much butter and shortening you’ve just put in. It’s worth it.

Happy New Year!

Cranberry Dessert Delight

Voila!

Filling:

8 cups cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup walnuts or pecans

Crust:

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening melted together

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Spread cranberries in a greased 13×9 baking dish

1. Sprinkle w/nuts and 1 cup sugar
2. In a large mixer, beat eggs well. Add 2 c. sugar gradually until blended. Add flour and melted butter to egg/sugar mixture; beat well.
3. Pour batter over cranberries.
4. Bake 6o minutes until toothpick comes out clean