Cranberry Pie

If you are looking for something that will add a bright pop of color to your holiday desserts and your taste buds, give this cranberry pie a whirl.

A smooth sweet yet tart custard fills a buttery, tender crust that is easy to cut and serve.

Cranberry pie definitely is a pretty addition to the table!

INGREDIENTS:

Crust

½ cup butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup flour

Filling

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1 ½ cups sugar (plus ½ cup) divided

½ cup water

Pinch of table salt

3 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons butter, softened

DIRECTIONS:

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add flour. Mix to form a soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at an hour (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray non-stick coating on a 9-inch tart pan. Press dough into the bottom and up sides of pan (it will shrink slightly when baking to press it up high on the sides).

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until crust is just starting to brown.

Remove from oven and cool.

Add cranberries, water, 11/2 cups sugar, and salt to a large saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once it boils, adjust heat to medium and maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes, until berries burst.

While the berries cook, whisk together egg yolk and cornstarch.

Transfer cranberry mixture to a food processor (a blender works, too). Add egg mixture and process until smooth (about a minute). Let mixture cool in processor for about an hour, until a skin forms on top. Add butter to cranberry puree and process for about thirty seconds. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Use a rubber spatula, or the back of a spoon, to press it through the mesh. Spoon filling into the crust, smoothing into an evening layer. Cover and refrigerate at least four hours (or overnight).

Top with whipped cream, and garnish with sugared cranberries. For an extra festive flair, garnish with rosemary or mint leaves.

To make sugared cranberries, mix ¼ cup water with ¼ cup sugar. Heat in a microwave safe bowl in short intervals (20 seconds each) stirring until sugar is dissolved. Coat berries in syrup. While wet, roll berries in remaining ¼ cup of sugar, a few at a time. Allow to dry at least an hour.

Serves approximately 8.

Watch a step-by-step video on Pinterest