Nantucket Cranberry Pie
There's something I don't understand. I don't understand why we don't take more notice of the cranberry. Why it appears in November for Thanksgiving, then inexplicably drops off the face of the earth for the rest of the year, especially since cranberries are harvested in September and October. In hindsight, I should have put out a notice back at the beginning of the holiday season to grab a few bags and freeze them, since they freeze so exceptionally well. Then, when it's dark and gray and there isn't a bit of mood-lifting tartness to be had, you can pull them out by the handful and defrost only the ones you intend to use.
This is a rustic dessert, so don't expect perfect slices. Just embrace the mound of cranberries and cake that falls onto your plate. When it's cool, a thin layer of craquelure forms on the top, ready to shatter then dissolve.
The recipe comes from Laurie Colwin's More Home Cooking where it's called Nantucket Cranberry Pie. Evidently in Nantucket, they're a bit confused about distinctions between pies and cakes. Or maybe distinctions just don't matter when the outcome is this good. After all, we're all about breaking down barriers with this one.
Nantucket Cranberry Pie
From Laurie Colwin's More Home Cooking
2 cups chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
Spread the cranberries, walnuts and 1/2 cup sugar in the bottom of a 9" or 10" cake pan (or skillet or anything else you might have lying around). Mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl to form a batter. Pour the batter over the cranberry mixture and bake in an oven preheated to 350 for around 40 minutes. Cool a bit in the pan, and enjoy.
Notes:
* Pecans would also be good instead of walnuts
* This is a rustic dessert, so don't expect perfect slices. Just embrace the mound of cranberries and cake that falls onto your plate.
Comments
Cheers,
Elra
Just a shame I can't make the cranberry recipe- I live in Australia so we don't get them down here. Used to live in Massachusetts right next to a cranberry bog though- that was great.
Anyway, keep up the good work!
Lib, you could try this with blueberries, or any tart berry you can get your hands on. I would imagine using red currents could also work. And thanks for your lovely comment!
I substituted 1/2 raspberries and 1/4 blackberries to keep the tart flavor and it turned out amazingly.
Also, the top of mine came out browned after 30 mins, but the center is fine.
The cranberry makes it taste so delicious though. I just 1.5 the recipe and made it in 2 disposable pie tins, the portions were correct.
Crowell Cranberry Pie
2 1/4 cups cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cups sugar
3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup flour
Grease a large pie plate
Spread the cranberries on the bottom of a pie plate
combine walnuts and 2/3 cup sugar in the bottom of the pie plate
beat eggs until light and add 3/4c sugar and flour and melted butter
beat together and then add to cranberries
cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees
For an even prettier version, make it in a spring-form cake pan, pop it out when it's cool, and invert it onto a serving plate, so all the jewel-like berries are on top. Some will roll off onto the plate, but who cares?
The pie looks amazing but I imagine it tasted even better!
Secret Restaurant Recipes
I also substituted 1/3 of the butter with almond oil.
Thank you for sharing!
http://eatlittleeatbig.blogspot.com/2010/11/recipe-for-nantucket-cranberry-pie-cake.html
Thanks for the inspiration!
PS it's delicious, beyond the memories.
I tried this version--it is WAY TOO MUCH melted butter. If I had put it all in, it would have had a lake of butter on top of the batter, so I decided to only use half of it, and it turned out just fine.
All versions are delicious, but you want more of a cake than berry pudding (clafouti) texture, I suggest you go the creamed butter route.