MINCED CRANBERRY PIE

MINCED CRANBERRY PIE

Every family has their own traditions that have graced their tables at Thanksgiving since time began.  Most everyone I know has their own special recipes for stuffing or dressing, techniques for roasting or frying turkey, or the countless variations on mashed or sweet potatoes.  However you choose to celebrate, nearly every Turkey Day feast seems to have one usual component:  Cranberry.

Growing up in Western Michigan, my family found themselves sitting down to break bread at the Thanksgiving table with two kinds of cranberry sauce.  The time honored version in the can, which was admittedly, something you just couldn’t stray far from.  However, over time the lovely addition of minced cranberry relish with a light, lemon infused whipped cream would join the menu.  And for those who were thinking it, Yes.  Yet another table-top influence of a certain Dutch Matriarch.

Minced cranberry relish recipes pop up all over the internet for both Holiday and canning related cooking.  My favorite recipe comes from the rather brilliant mind of a gentleman who saw the desperate need for improvement over as he rather adroitly pointed out:

“Anything that SLIDES out of the can, hanging in mid-air above the serving dish, and retains its can-like shape once it gets there ISN’T meant for normal consumption by humans.”

I suppose it’s fairly obvious that we don’t serve canned cranberry sauce at our table at Thanksgiving anymore.

Instead, I’m passing a little secret recipe from my family to yours for this delicious Minced Cranberry Pie.  This recipe can be altered to taste, and is table-slapping amazing as a relish as well as in a pie crust or tartlets.

MINCED CRANBERRY PIE:

·         Pie Pastry for a 2-crust, 9.5” deep-dish pie pastry

·         1 Lb. Fresh Cranberries, Ground

·         1 Orange, Ground (rind and all)

·         2 Cups Sugar

·         1 Tbs. Grand Marnier Liqueur

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

In a food processor, grind up your fresh cranberries until nearly the consistency of pickle relish.  Set aside in a medium bowl.  Cut your whole orange, rind and all, into 8 pieces.  Place in food processor and grind for 2 – 3 pulses until a similar consistency as that of your cranberries.  Mix orange mixture into your cranberries.

As you mix your cranberry and orange mixture together, gradually add your sugar into the mixture.  Stir your combined fruit and sugar mixture until well blended together, and add your Grand Marnier liqueur to taste. 

Allow mixture to refrigerate for  1 – 4 hours to cure.  Add more sugar to taste if a less tart filling is preferred.

Roll out pie pastry and lay into a baking sprayed pie plate.  Spoon cranberry filling into your pastry shell.

This pie is typically baked as a 2-crust pie, and the filling can be covered with the top crust in a traditional fashion, or with cookie cutter pieces done in a shingle fashion, as shown in the photograph at top (unbaked).

Place a cookie sheet underneath the pie plate to catch any juice run-off.  Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until top crust is golden brown.