Every week, one ingredient and 25 great things to do with it, from the food creators worth following. This is Thanksgiving week, so it's cranberries: five sauces worth making from scratch, drinks and starters for the party, cranberries in dinner, breakfast breads, and four desserts. Save any of them and it lands in your recipes, laid out the way we cook.
David candies orange slices in their own syrup first, then chops them into the sauce like little jewels. Brown sugar, rum, cider vinegar and allspice make it taste grown-up.
Blanching the orange twice takes the bitterness out of the pith, so the whole slice, peel and all, goes in.
You need
1 large navel orange, seeds removed
3/4 cup (180 ml) water, plus another 3/4 cup (180 ml)
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed (90 g) light brown sugar
2 tbsp dark rum
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1 cup (110 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
How to make it
Cut both ends off the orange, then slice it into 1/3-inch (1 cm) rounds with a serrated knife.
Put the slices in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Drain, cover with fresh water and simmer 10 minutes more. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Return the slices to the pan with 3/4 cup water and the granulated sugar. Boil gently until the liquid turns to a thick syrup, turning the slices now and then so they candy evenly. Near the end, watch closely and keep turning so they don't scorch. Tip into a colander to cool.
In the same pan, bring the other 3/4 cup water, brown sugar, rum, cinnamon stick, vinegar and allspice to a boil. Add the cranberries and cook until they pop and just start to collapse.
Chop the candied oranges into pea-size pieces, stir them in and cook 1 minute more. Take off the heat, pull out the cinnamon stick and let it cool; it thickens as it sits.
Chef's notes
Make it up to a week ahead; it only gets better.
For a bigger batch, double the cranberries and the second syrup but candy just one orange.
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Adding the zest, cinnamon and ginger at the end keeps their flavor fresh instead of cooked flat.
You need
12 oz (340 g) cranberries, fresh or frozen (one bag)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp orange zest, plus more to garnish
1 cinnamon stick, about 3 inches
1/8 tsp grated fresh ginger, with its juice (more to taste)
How to make it
Pick through the cranberries and throw out any soft ones. Put them in a small saucepan with the orange juice and brown sugar and stir.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then lower to medium-low and cook uncovered, stirring now and then, until most of the berries have popped, about 8 minutes.
Add the cinnamon stick, orange zest and ginger and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until it's as thick as you like.
Take it off the heat; it keeps thickening as it cools. Serve warm or at room temperature with a little more zest on top.
Chef's notes
Keeps 2 weeks in the fridge or 3 months frozen.
Taste before serving and add a little more ginger if you want it to bite.
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Natasha swaps half the work for a splash of Grand Marnier: the orange liqueur does what zest and juice usually do, and the brown sugar makes it deep and caramel-y.
The alcohol mostly cooks off, leaving orange and a little warmth; it's the easiest sauce on the table that tastes like it took effort.
You need
12 oz (340 g) fresh cranberries
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp Grand Marnier (or Cointreau)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
How to make it
Pick out any soft or shriveled cranberries.
Stir the cranberries, water, Grand Marnier, brown sugar and cinnamon stick together in a medium saucepan.
Simmer over medium-high heat, stirring now and then, until the berries start to pop and the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and keep simmering until it's as thick as you like, 10 to 12 minutes in all.
Pull out the cinnamon stick and let it cool; it sets up more as it cools. Keep it in the fridge in a sealed container.
Chef's notes
For a no-alcohol version, use orange juice in place of the liqueur.
Made 3 days ahead, the flavor is rounder.
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Nisha holds back a handful of berries and stirs them in at the end, so the sauce is jammy with whole bursts of tart. Diced pear makes it soft and sweet without much sugar.
Two textures in one pot: the cooked berries make the jam, the late ones stay whole and pop when you bite them.
You need
12 oz (340 g) fresh cranberries, divided
2 to 3 navel oranges
1 medium pear (about 8 oz / 227 g), peeled and finely diced
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger (2 tsp for milder)
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
Scant 2/3 cup (135 g) cane sugar
Kosher salt
2 tbsp water
How to make it
Set aside 1/3 cup (35 g) of the cranberries for the end. Zest an orange to get 2 teaspoons and set aside, then juice the oranges to get 3/4 cup (180 ml).
In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the rest of the cranberries, the orange juice (not the zest), pear, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, 2 pinches of kosher salt and the water.
Bring to a boil over medium-high, then lower to medium and stir now and then until the berries burst, 4 to 5 minutes. Press them against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon and cook 3 minutes more, until thickened.
Stir in the zest and the reserved berries and cook over medium-low 1 to 2 minutes, until jammy.
Take off the heat, fish out the cinnamon stick and cool about 20 minutes. If you like it looser, stir in a splash of water.
Chef's notes
A firm, ripe Bosc or Anjou pear holds its shape best.
Keeps a week in the fridge; let it come to room temperature before serving.
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Raw cranberries, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, orange and lime, pulsed for ten seconds. It's sweet-tart and fiery, and it's the dip people ask about at every party.
A quick maple-orange cranberry jam and toasted pecans on top of a wheel of brie, wrapped in puff pastry and baked until it's deep gold. Cut it open at the table.
Trimming the rind off the top lets the jam melt into the cheese; the rest of the rind keeps it from leaking.
You need
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch sea salt
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 wheel brie, 8 to 12 oz
2/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
1 egg, beaten
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
How to make it
Bring the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt to a boil in a medium pot over medium heat. Boil 10 to 15 minutes, until the berries burst and it's jammy. Let it cool a little.
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Lay the pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and set the brie in the middle.
Slice away the rind from the top of the brie only. Spread the cranberry jam over it and scatter the pecans on top.
Fold the corners of the pastry up over the brie, brush it with the egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden brown. Rest 10 minutes, then serve with bread or crackers.
Chef's notes
Leftover jam is great on toast or with the turkey.
Assemble it up to a day ahead, chill, and brush with egg just before baking.
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A chunky, sweet-hot cranberry relish folded into whipped cream cheese, so it's pink, tangy and a little spicy. Make it the night before and it's even better.
The spritz everyone knows, made for the season: cranberry juice in with the Aperol and prosecco, and a few berries and rosemary in the glass. Two minutes, no shaker.
Cranberries rolled in hot syrup, dried for an hour, then tossed in sugar until they sparkle like frost. Sweet crunch, then a tart pop. They vanish from the bowl.
From Alexandra Stafford at Alexandra's Kitchen · @alexandracooks
Rosemary-rubbed chicken thighs browned in one pan, then a quick sauce of cranberries, orange, garlic and maple that bursts and turns glossy around them. A weeknight dinner that tastes like a holiday.
The sauce is built in the chicken's pan, so all the browned bits go into it.
You need
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 1/2 to 2 lb / 680 to 900 g)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp paprika
3 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 orange (about 2 tbsp)
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
3 cups (one 12 oz bag) fresh cranberries, thawed if frozen
How to make it
Mix the salt, pepper, rosemary and paprika and press it onto both sides of the chicken.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook the chicken 5 to 8 minutes a side, turning as needed, until it reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, 10 to 15 minutes in all. Add a splash of water if the pan starts to scorch. Move the chicken to a plate.
Add the remaining tablespoon oil and the garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add the orange juice, zest, stock and maple syrup and scrape up the browned bits.
Add the cranberries and simmer, stirring, until most have burst and the sauce is thick and glossy, 6 to 8 minutes.
Return the chicken and any juices to the pan, spoon the sauce over and simmer 2 minutes. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
Chef's notes
Taste the sauce; add a little more maple if your berries are very tart.
Chicken breasts work too: pound them even and cook a little less.
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Susie brines the bird in apple juice, flattens it so it cooks evenly and fast, smokes it low and brushes on a sticky cranberry glaze at the end. Juicy breast, crisp lacquered skin.
Spatchcocking puts the legs and breast at the same height, so the dark meat finishes before the white meat dries out.
You need
1 turkey, about 15 lb (6.8 kg)
1 gallon apple juice (or water)
1 cup turkey brine mix (Susie uses her Apple Spice brine; or 3/4 cup kosher salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar)
2 to 3 tbsp avocado oil
1/4 cup poultry rub
1/2 cup cranberry glaze (Susie uses her Cranberry BBQ Glaze; or simmer 1/2 cup cranberry sauce with 2 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tbsp cider vinegar)
How to make it
Whisk the brine mix into the apple juice until dissolved. Pull out the neck and giblets, put the turkey in a brining bag set in a dish, pour in the brine, press out the air and seal. Refrigerate about 1 hour per pound.
Heat a smoker to 275°F (135°C) with a mild wood such as pecan, maple, apple or alder.
Take the turkey out of the brine and pat dry. With the breast down, cut out the backbone with kitchen shears, turn it over and press firmly on the breastbone until it cracks and lies flat. Tuck the wing tips behind.
Rub the bird all over with oil, then season with the rub on both sides.
Smoke breast side up until the breast reads about 155°F (68°C) and the thighs 170°F (77°C), roughly 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.
Brush with the cranberry glaze and smoke 15 to 20 minutes more, until the breast reaches 160°F (71°C) and the glaze is set. Rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
Chef's notes
No smoker? Roast the spatchcocked bird at 400°F (200°C) for about 80 to 90 minutes, glazing at the end.
Save the backbone for gravy stock.
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Hearty vegan meatballs made with TVP, black beans and beets, baked and tossed in a tangy cranberry and tomato sauce. A great use for a can of cranberry sauce, at the party or at dinner.
The broth from soaking the TVP goes into the sauce, so nothing is wasted and the sauce tastes meaty.
You need
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp vegan beef-flavored bouillon
1 cup TVP crumbles
2 tbsp ground flax plus 3 tbsp water
1 cup finely diced onion
4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp each dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, smoked paprika, onion powder and garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp sea salt, plus 1/8 tsp for the sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup finely minced cooked beets
1 cup canned black beans, mashed
1 cup rolled oats, ground to flour (about 3/4 cup)
3/4 cup canned cranberry sauce
1/4 cup canned fire-roasted tomatoes
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp vegan Worcestershire
1 tsp miso
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp snipped chives
How to make it
Stir the bouillon into the warm water and pour it over the TVP. Soak a few minutes, until plump but still a little firm. Strain, saving the broth, and press the TVP lightly. Mix the flax with 3 tablespoons water and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium and soften the onion and garlic 2 to 3 minutes. Add all the spices, 3/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper and cook 1 minute, then the TVP for 2 to 3 minutes.
Tip into a large bowl with the beets, beans and flax and mix well, then stir in the oat flour.
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls, set on a lined sheet, brush with 2 tablespoons oil and bake about 25 minutes, turning once, until browned and firm.
Meanwhile, blend the cranberry sauce, tomatoes, 1/4 cup saved broth, vinegar, Worcestershire, miso, cornstarch and 1/8 teaspoon salt, then simmer in a small pan until thick and glossy, 3 to 4 minutes.
Toss the meatballs in the sauce and scatter the chives on top.
Chef's notes
Makes about 24; they freeze well before saucing.
Serve on toothpicks for a party or over rice for dinner.
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Sweet rolls layered with provolone, turkey and cranberry sauce, brushed with a honey-mustard butter and baked until the cheese melts. The best thing to happen to leftovers.
Brushing butter on the turkey under the sauce keeps the meat moist and stops the bread from going soggy.
You need
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp onion powder
Pinch of salt
12 Hawaiian sweet rolls (one 12 oz package)
8 oz sliced provolone (10 slices)
8 oz cooked or deli turkey
3/4 cup cranberry sauce
1 tsp everything bagel seasoning (or poppy seeds)
How to make it
Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) with a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil.
Stir the melted butter with the mustard, honey, Worcestershire, onion powder and salt.
Slice the whole slab of rolls in half horizontally, keeping them joined. Set the bottom half cut side up on the pan.
Layer 6 slices of provolone, then the turkey. Brush with half the butter sauce, spread the cranberry sauce over, and top with the other 4 slices of cheese.
Put the top on, brush with the rest of the butter and sprinkle with the seasoning.
Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes, then uncover and bake about 5 minutes more, until the cheese melts and the tops brown. Cut apart and serve hot.
Chef's notes
Swap in brie or Swiss for the provolone.
Assemble up to 4 hours ahead, minus the butter on top, and keep chilled.
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Roasted squash halves filled with quinoa, garlicky kale, chickpeas, orange and dried cranberries, then baked again. It's a centerpiece for the vegetarians, and everyone else will want some.
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Halve the squash, scoop out the seeds and set cut side up on a tray. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil, season and roast 45 to 55 minutes, until just tender. Cool, and drop the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil, add the quinoa, cover and simmer 12 minutes. Take off the heat and let stand covered 15 minutes, then fluff.
Heat the other teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium and cook the kale until wilted, about 4 minutes. Lower the heat, add the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the chickpeas, orange zest and juice, quinoa and cranberries.
Scoop out the squash, leaving a 1/2-inch wall and 3/4-inch base. Chop some of the scooped squash and fold it into the filling.
Pile the filling into the shells, top with cheese if using and bake 15 minutes, until hot through.
Chef's notes
Roast the squash a day ahead and stuff it to order.
Leave off the cheese and it's vegan.
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Brown lentils, spinach, tart apple, dried cranberries, feta and walnuts in a lemon-Dijon dressing. Cheap, filling, and it holds up in the fridge for days.
Brown lentils cooked at a gentle simmer stay whole, so the salad is hearty, not mushy.
You need
3 cups water
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
6 oz (170 g) fresh spinach
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and finely diced
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
How to make it
Bring the water to a simmer, add the lentils, return to a simmer and set a lid on askew. Cook about 20 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper, then whisk in the oil in a slow stream.
Put the lentils and spinach in a large bowl and add the cranberries, apple, feta and walnuts.
Pour the dressing over and toss.
Chef's notes
Keeps 4 days in the fridge; add the spinach on the day if you're packing lunches.
Toast the walnuts for more flavor.
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Massaged kale with crisp bacon, apple, celery, cranberries, feta and spiced candied pecans in a shallot-cider dressing. The salad that sits next to the turkey and gets finished first.
Massaging the kale in the dressing for a minute softens it, so it can sit dressed on the table without going limp.
You need
3 slices bacon, diced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 medium shallot, diced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 large bunch kale, stems removed, shredded
1 medium apple, diced
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/2 cup crumbled feta
For the pecans: 1 large egg white, 1/3 cup sugar, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/8 tsp cayenne (optional), 2 cups pecan halves
How to make it
For the pecans, heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Whisk the egg white until frothy, then whisk in the sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cayenne. Toss in the pecans, spread them out and bake about 30 minutes, stirring every 10, until dry and crisp. Cool.
Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes, and drain on paper towels.
Whisk the vinegar, shallot and Dijon in a large bowl and let it stand 5 minutes. Whisk in the oil and honey and season.
Add the kale and massage it in the dressing for 1 minute.
Top with the bacon, apple, celery, cranberries, feta and a big handful of pecans and toss gently.
Chef's notes
The pecans keep a week in a jar; make extra for snacking.
Skip the bacon and it's vegetarian.
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Tessa rubs the orange zest into the sugar so the whole scone smells of it, folds in tart berries and finishes with a buttery orange glaze. Bakery scones, at home.
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Cube the butter small and keep it cold.
Rub the sugar and zest together with your fingers until fragrant, then whisk in the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the biggest pieces are pea-size.
Whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla, pour it in and stir until just shaggy. Fold in the cranberries.
Turn out onto a floured counter, divide in half and pat each into a 6-inch disk about 1 inch thick. Cut each into 8 wedges and space them on the sheets.
Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sparkling sugar and bake about 18 to 20 minutes, until golden. Cool 10 minutes.
Whisk the glaze until smooth and drizzle it over the warm scones.
Chef's notes
Freeze the cut, unbaked scones and bake from frozen, adding a few minutes.
Frozen cranberries go in straight from the freezer so they don't bleed.
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Big bakery-style muffins, soft and orange-scented, studded with whole cranberries and drizzled with an orange glaze. No eggs, no butter, and nobody can tell.
Emilie's easy sourdough sandwich loaf, loaded with dried cranberries and toasted pecans. Mix it after dinner, bake it in the morning, and toast it with butter all week.
A long, cool overnight rise does the kneading for you and gives the loaf its tang.
You need
65 g (1/3 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter
300 g (1 1/4 cups) warm water
500 g (4 cups plus 2 tbsp) bread flour
9 g (1 1/2 tsp) fine sea salt
150 g (1 cup) dried cranberries
50 g (1/4 to 1/3 cup) pecans, roughly chopped
Butter, for the pan
How to make it
In the evening, whisk the starter and water with a fork in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix until stiff, then finish with your hands until no dry flour is left. Cover with a damp cloth and rest 1 hour.
Toast the pecans in a dry skillet until fragrant, then cool.
Add the cranberries and pecans and fold the dough over them again and again until they're worked through.
Cover and let it rise at room temperature overnight, 8 to 12 hours at 68 to 70°F (20 to 21°C), until about doubled.
In the morning, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter, dimple it gently, roll it into a log and rest 5 to 10 minutes. Butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Shape it into a tight log, set it in the pan seam side down, cover and let it rise until it crowns just above the rim, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Bake about 45 to 50 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding. Cool on a rack at least an hour before slicing.
Chef's notes
Warm kitchen? The overnight rise may only take 6 to 8 hours; check that it hasn't over-risen.
Swap walnuts for pecans, or add a teaspoon of orange zest.
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Crescent dough twisted into spirals around sweet cream cheese and jam, baked golden, glazed with vanilla butter and piled with sparkly sugared cranberries. They look like they came from a bakery case.
For the berries, boil the water with 1/2 cup sugar 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the washed, dried cranberries, spread them on a parchment-lined tray and let them cool and turn sticky, about 1 hour. Toss with the remaining 3/4 cup sugar.
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Unroll the dough into one sheet, roll it a little bigger and press the seams together.
Mix the cream cheese with the sugar and spread it over the dough. Cut into 4 long strips.
Fold each strip in half lengthwise, twist it into a rope and coil it into a spiral. Set them on a parchment-lined sheet.
Brush with egg wash, put a tablespoon of jam in the middle of each and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden (raise the heat to 400°F for the last 2 minutes for more color).
Whisk the glaze, drizzle it over the warm danishes and top with sugared cranberries.
Chef's notes
Make the sugared cranberries a day ahead; they keep at room temperature.
Puff pastry works in place of crescent dough.
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A tall, tender orange layer cake with a cooked cranberry filling between the layers and an orange cream cheese frosting. It's the showpiece for the dessert table.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour four 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
For the filling, simmer the sugars, orange juice, water and cranberries, stirring, until the berries burst and it's thick and jammy, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
Beat the butter until creamy, then beat in the sugar, oil, zest and vanilla. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Add the dry mix to the butter in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk.
Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them gently into the batter in two parts.
Divide among the pans and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then completely on a rack.
Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, add the zest, then the powdered sugar a cup at a time, then the orange juice and vanilla.
Stack the layers with a ring of frosting around each edge and cranberry filling in the middle, then frost the outside.
Chef's notes
Only have two pans? Bake in batches; the batter can wait 20 minutes.
Bake the layers a day ahead and keep them wrapped.
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1/2 cup (120 ml) cold buttermilk, plus 2 tbsp for brushing
Coarse sugar
How to make it
Zest the orange first, then juice it. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 3- to 3 1/2-quart baking dish at least 3 inches deep.
Cook the cranberries, cherries and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until juicy, about 5 minutes. Stir the cornstarch into the orange juice with a spoonful of the hot juices, pour it in and cook, stirring, until thick and bubbling at the edges, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and salt and pour into the dish.
Whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Cut in the cold butter until it's in pea-size pieces.
Stir in the buttermilk until just combined into a shaggy dough.
Drop spoonfuls of dough over the filling, brush with the extra buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling bubbles. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Chef's notes
Put a sheet pan on the rack below to catch drips.
Frozen fruit goes in straight from the freezer; add a few minutes on the stove.
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Soaked cashews blended with lemon give the tang and body of cream cheese without any dairy.
You need
Topping: 200 g (2 scant cups) fresh cranberries, 75 g (6 tbsp) sugar, 4 tbsp orange juice, 4 tbsp water, zest of 1/2 orange
Base: 220 g (7.7 oz) ginger nut biscuits (gingersnaps), 85 g (6 to 7 tbsp) vegan butter, melted
Filling: 200 g (1 1/2 cups) raw cashews, soaked in boiling water 20 minutes
About 80 ml (1/3 cup) lemon juice plus zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1/2 orange
125 g (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp) caster or powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla paste (optional)
40 g (3 tbsp) vegan butter, softened
How to make it
Zest the orange and keep half for the filling. Simmer the cranberries with 5 tablespoons of the sugar, the orange juice, water and the other half of the zest over low heat, stirring often, until they burst and the sauce barely falls off a spoon. Cool.
Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F), no fan. Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square tin with baking paper overhanging the sides.
Grind the biscuits finely in a food processor, add the melted vegan butter and pulse until it looks like wet sand. Press it firmly into the tin and bake 10 minutes. Cool, then chill.
Drain the cashews and blend with the lemon juice and zest, orange zest, sugar, vanilla and softened vegan butter until completely smooth.
Spread the filling over the base, dot with the cranberry sauce and swirl with a skewer.
Bake until just set with a slight wobble in the middle, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool, then chill at least 4 hours before cutting into 16 bars.
Chef's notes
Wipe the knife between cuts for clean edges.
Keeps 4 days in the fridge or a month in the freezer.
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A chocolate cookie crust filled with a pink, cloud-like cranberry cream and topped with whipped cream. Joy calls it a retro party pie, and it's the one that disappears first.
Sauce: 1 bag (12 oz) fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, pinch of salt, 2 strips orange peel
Filling: 2/3 cup boiling water, 1 package (3 oz) cranberry gelatin, 1 cup cold water, 1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping, 1 heaping cup of the cooled cranberry sauce
Topping: 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, 1 tbsp powdered sugar, a splash of vanilla
Chocolate-dipped pretzels, to decorate (optional)
How to make it
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the upper third. Stir the crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter, press into a 9-inch pie plate and bake 12 minutes. Cool completely.
Simmer the cranberries, sugar, water, salt and orange peel over low heat about 10 minutes, until the berries break down and it thickens. Remove the peel and cool.
Whisk the boiling water into the gelatin until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cold water and chill until it starts to thicken, like egg whites.
Whisk in the whipped topping until smooth and fluffy, then fold in a heaping cup of the cranberry sauce.
Pour into the crust and chill at least 4 hours, until set.
Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks and pile it on top. Decorate with chocolate-dipped pretzels if you like.
Chef's notes
Leftover cranberry sauce is great spooned over each slice.
Make the pie the day before; add the whipped cream just before serving.
Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.
In stores from October through December, usually in 12-ounce bags. Firm, shiny and deep red; they bounce when they're good.
Frozen
Freeze fresh bags as they are, for up to a year. Cook or bake them straight from the freezer; don't thaw first or they bleed.
Dried
Sweetened and chewy. For salads, grains, stuffing and breads, not for sauce. Look for reduced-sugar if you want them tarter.
Juice
Buy 100% unsweetened juice for cooking and drinks; 'cocktail' is mostly sugar and other juices.
Canned sauce
Jellied or whole-berry. Fine for sliders, glazes and meatball sauce, where it gets cooked or layered.
Sugared
Fresh berries rolled in syrup and sugar: a snack, a garnish for cakes and cheese boards, and they keep for days.
A 12-ounce bag is about 3 to 3 1/2 cups, the amount most sauces call for.
Pick out soft, shriveled or brown berries before cooking; one bad one won't hurt, but a handful turns the sauce bitter.
Basic sauce: one bag of berries, 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup liquid (water, orange juice, cider), simmered 10 minutes until most burst. It sets as it cools.
Cranberry sauce keeps two weeks in the fridge and three months in the freezer, so make it this weekend, not on Thursday.
Cranberries are very sour; pair them with something sweet (orange, maple, pear) or rich (brie, cream cheese, turkey).
Halve big berries before folding them into muffins and scones so every bite gets some.
Every Monday
Next week: sweet potatoes
The Thanksgiving side, then everything after it: curries, fries, pies and bowls. A new ingredient and 25 recipes every Monday, in Chef's daily. Free.
How we picked
One recipe per cook, all from the food creators on our Hot 100, so you get 25 different kitchens instead of five versions of the same soup. We looked for the ones their readers keep making, and for range: weeknight and weekend, vegan and not, from all over the world. Every recipe page was checked on Nov 5, 2026. The photos are the creators' own and say so. Who did we miss? Tell us at hello@chefamazing.com.
Every photo is the creator's own, from the recipe it goes with, and every recipe is theirs; what you save is Chef's own write-up in our words, with their quantities, credited and linked to the original. Chef Amazing isn't paid by anyone on this list.
Chef Amazing remembers every place you ate, keeps the lists friends send you, and helps you cook it at home.
Photo: Half Baked Harvest
11Photo: Amira's Pantry
12Photo: Hey Grill Hey
13Photo: Hot for Food
14Photo: Jessica Gavin
15Photo: Well Plated
16Photo: Budget Bytes
17Photo: Damn Delicious
