Cranberry sauce and dessert

Even though I now prefer fresh cranberries, as a kid I loved jellied cranberry sauce. I used to eat it fresh out of the can -- with a fork to make it last longer. And our family Thanksgiving dinner would not be complete without the traditional "frozen cranberry mold" (this sounds questionable, but is actually delicious: jellied cranberry sauce and lemon juice, topped with whipped cream, vanilla and powdered sugar, frozen.)

When I visited Monticello last year, I picked up a book about Native American foods that has some interesting facts about cranberries: 

• originally, the English called them fenberries, with fen meaning bog. The name changed to craneberry because the stems of the fruit were curved like a crane's neck.
• mashed cranberries were used by American Indians as a cure for wounds, and to draw out poisons. They were also used in dyes, and were a symbol of peace.

Hundreds of years later... I had two cans of jellied cranberry sauce leftover from November and I decided to make two new recipes with them. Below is a recipe for a dessert inspired by lemon bars, and a breakfast bread/cake. Enjoy!


Cranberry bars

Crust:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

Mix ingredients and press into bottom (and halfway up sides) of a square, greased dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins.

Filling:
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T lemon juice
3 T flour

Beat eggs, then mix in flour (on a low speed). Mix vanilla and lemon juice with cranberry sauce and add to eggs/flour. Pour filling over crust. If using topping (see below), spread over top of filling. Bake for another 30 mins. Let cool before serving (if you don't use crumb topping, sprinkle powdered sugar over top before serving).

Crumb topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 T butter

Mix first four ingredients and cut in butter. 


Cranberry-apple breakfast cake

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T canola oil
1 egg
2 T lemon juice
1/2 cup milk or soymilk
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 can jellied cranberry sauce, mixed
2 cups apples, chopped

Beat egg and add brown sugar, oil, lemon juice, milk, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, oats and flour. Mix in apple sauce and cranberry sauce. Fold in chopped apples.  Pour into greased pan and bake at 375 degrees for about 55 mins or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.