Fall Fruits Festival - Cranberries

Thursday = Cranberries. At least this week it does. Lisa (at Stop and Smell the Chocolates) is having a Fall Fruits Festival over at her place this week. Go check it out and you'll come away with a ton of yummy-licious recipes. (Yes, that's a word).

Cranberry Pecan Sandies

Ingredients

• 1 package (15.6 ounces) cranberry-orange quick bread mix
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 30 to 36 pecan halves
• ORANGE GLAZE:
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 to 4 teaspoons orange juice

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the bread mix, butter, egg and orange juice. Stir in chopped pecans. Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with the bottom of a glass coated with cooking spray. Press a pecan half into center of each cookie.
• Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks. In a small bowl, whisk glaze ingredients. Drizzle over cookies. Yield: 2-1/2 to 3 dozen.

I love cranberries. I had a hard time choosing a recipe to put on here. But I stuck with a simple one.

This year, I'm going to try a new turkey recipe that calls for putting a whole cranberry sauce mixture on the turkey and then serving the extra sauce with it. What? Ok, ok you talked me into it. So, I won't stick with just desserts like I said I would. Here's the turkey recipe. Keep in mind, I haven't tried this one yet, but I plan to for Thanksgiving. Or Christmas. Or any day in between. It sounds delicious.

Cranberry-Orange Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 turkey (14 pounds)
• 1 medium orange
• 1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 4 sprigs fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, parsley and sage
• 2 medium onions, cut into wedges

Directions

• Combine the garlic powder, salt and pepper. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from the turkey breast; spread half of garlic powder mixture under the skin. Sprinkle skin with remaining mixture.
• Juice the orange, reserving the rind. In a large bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, teriyaki sauce, honey, marmalade, soy sauce and orange juice. Cover and refrigerate 3-1/2 cups mixture for sauce. Rub remaining mixture under the skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks. Place herb sprigs and reserved orange rind in turkey cavity.
• Arrange onions in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Place turkey over onions. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180°. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.
• Discard herb sprigs and orange before slicing. Place reserved sauce in a large saucepan; heat through. Serve with turkey. Yield: 28 servings (3-1/2 cups sauce).

(No, that's not me with the turkey; I found the picture online).

Well, enjoy.

Until next time...