Pecan cranberry tart

FOUND IT: At Foodnetwork.com, where it was linked from a pecan pie recipe I've also mentioned recently.

I love pecan pie, and this is a great twist on it. The crust is a fair amount of work, but it's worth it as an alternative to a normal pie crust. You can also simplify a fair amount here. For example: The recipe calls for a tart pan, but I don't own one. A pie plate worked fine in its place.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 3 tbsp water

Filling:

• 1 cup pecan halves, divided into two 1/2 cups
  
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  

Coat a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick spray.

To make crust: Spread oats in another pie pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 6 to 12 minutes at 375. Let cool. (I didn't.) Place the oats in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Leave the oven on and set at 375.

Stir together oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Drizzle oil onto dry ingredients and use a fork or your fingers to blend until crumbly. Using a fork, stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 7 to 8 times. Roll the dough out to an 11-inch circle, dusting with flour if necessary. Transfer the dough to prepared pan, pressing to fit. Trim edges. (If necessary, use scraps to patch any holes in crust.)

To make filling & bake: Spread 1/2 cup pecans on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Whisk brown sugar, eggs, egg whites, corn syrup, vinegar, butter, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. By this point your pecans should be cool-ish, give them a coarse chop. Stir in dried cranberries and the chopped pecans. Spoon filling into crust. Arrange remaining 1/2 cup pecans on top of the filling.

Bake the tart until filling is set and crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Cranberry Brie en Croute

FOUND IT: The cranberry part is from this recipe, and the en croute part is from this one.

I've tried my normal brie en croute recipe several ways now. This one is great for holiday gatherings when cranberries are in season. With that said, the cranberry sauce recipe below makes much more than you'll need for this, so cut it in half if you don't want extra.

This one must have been a hit: I made it for a holiday party at my house and had someone immediately request I make it again for a gathering at their house.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a 17.3 oz package of puff pastry sheets
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 13.2 ounce Brie cheese round

For the cranberry sauce:

• 1 cup orange juice
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 12 oz bag fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  

Leave a puff pastry sheet out around 40 minutes to defrost. If you can't wait that long, try putting it in the microwave on defrost, checking every 30 seconds.

In a medium saucepan, combine juice and sugar; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves.

Add cranberries and continue simmering until cranberries pop and mixture has thickened; about 10-12 minutes. Stir in cinnamon. Transfer from the saucepan to a bowl, and let it cool and thicken for half an hour. Less time is probably ok, but it's easier to work with once it's cool.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface, and roll out to a 14 inch square (mine was about the right shape already). Spoon roughly half a cup of the cranberry sauce into the middle of the sheet, in a circle the size of your wheel of brie. Unwrap the brie and place it on top of that. Fold two sides of the pastry dough over the brie. Cut the remaining two sides to just fit over the cheese. Place the brie in a baking dish (I use a pie plate) seam side down.

Beat the egg and water together and brush this mixture onto the outside.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 until the pastry is "deep golden brown." Let it cool for 45 minutes before serving.

Acorn Squash with Cranberries

FOUND IT: On Cooks.com

I'm not a big squash fan, but I like it this way, mainly because I love cranberries.

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash
1/2 c. fresh cranberries
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cut squash in halves lengthwise; remove seeds. Combine cranberries, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon; fill squash halves with this mixture. Place in shallow baking dish and surround with 1/2 inch water. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until squash is done.

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

FOUND IT: On Cooks.com

Cranberries are one of my favorite things. I like summer as much as the next guy, but I also love the first fresh cranberries of the fall.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. butter, softened
Juice and grated peel of 1 orange
1 egg
1 c. cranberries, chopped
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Grease bottom of loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in orange peel (about 1 tablespoon), the juice of 1 orange and 1 egg. Stir only until the flour is moistened. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in pan.

Bake at 350 until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Original recipe says to let it stand for at least 8 hours. I've never made it more than half an hour or so before I cut into it.