Layered Cranberry Slices Recipes

CRANBERRY SLICES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour. Stir in cranberries and, if desired, ginger. Divide the dough in half; form each half into a 6x3x1-in. block. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours or up to 2 days. , Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap logs; cut the dough into 1/4-in.-thick slices. Place on ungreased parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove to wire racks to cool.

SEVEN-LAYER CRANBERRY COBB DIP

Steps:

• Special equipment: a 2-quart trifle bowl
• Adjust two oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and the bread on another baking sheet. Bake the walnuts until golden and toasted, about 10 minutes. Bake the bread until lightly golden brown and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Set both aside to cool completely. Finely chop 2 cups of the walnuts and set aside.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, parsley, scallions, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Put the chicken in a food processor along with 1 cup of the sour cream mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Process until the mixture is a chunky puree. Transfer to another medium bowl and set aside.
• Rinse out the food processor, and add the toasted bread, 2 cups of the unchopped walnuts, the mustard and 1 teaspoon salt. Process until the mixture resembles a chunky puree. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil and 2 tablespoons water through the feed tube. Continue to process until smooth.
• To assemble the dip, make an even layer of the chicken salad in the bottom of a 2-quart trifle bowl. Then top with even layers of the following: the walnut mixture, chopped celery stalks, blue cheese, the reserved finely chopped walnuts, the remaining sour cream-herb sauce and then the cranberries. Sprinkle with the celery leaves. Serve right away, or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours or overnight. Serve with crackers.

LAYERED CRANBERRY SLICES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and mayonnaise until blended; stir in pecans. Remove cranberry sauce from the can in 1 piece; cut into fourteen 1/4-in. slices. Spread cream cheese mixture over half of the slices; top with remaining slices. Cut each in half. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

LAYERED CRANBERRY SALAD

Steps:

• In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Fold in whipped topping. Stir in pineapple.
• Pour cranberry sauce into separate bowl; stir to break up any large chunks.
• In each of 8 glass dishes, spoon cranberry sauce to cover bottom of dish. Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over cranberry sauce. Top with remaining cranberry sauce. Serve or refrigerate.

LAYERED CRANBERRY DESSERT

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in cranberry sauce and cold water until blended. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until partially set.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. Refrigerate until set.
• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over crust. Fold oranges into gelatin mixture; spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Cut into squares; dollop with remaining whipped topping. Yield: 12 servings.

CRANBERRY LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Start preparing the cranberry layer: Combine the cranberries, sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan. Zest 2 of the lemons directly into the saucepan; reserve the lemons. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the mixture is jammy, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
• Make the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with one large sheet of heavy aluminum foil, making sure there are no gaps or holes, then generously coat with cooking spray.
• Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the vanilla into the butter, then pour over the flour mixture. Stir until the dough comes together in a mass. Press into an even layer in the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown around the edges and dry and golden on top, 17 to 20 minutes.
• While the crust bakes, begin preparing the lemon layer: Squeeze the juice from the 2 reserved zested lemons. You should have 1/2 cup. Squeeze the juice from another lemon, if needed.
• Whisk the sugar, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add the eggs and whisk gently just until incorporated. Add the lemon juice and stir gently with the whisk just until smooth.
• Let the crust cool for 5 minutes, then spread the cranberry mixture evenly over the crust. Carefully and slowly pour the lemon mixture on top to create two distinct layers.
• Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is set, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 2 hours. Using the foil, slide the bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 24 squares, wiping your knife between cuts for clean slices. If desired, sift confectioners' sugar over the tops just before serving.

FANCY CANNED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Open the cans of jellied cranberries and slice the cylinders into 1/2-inch-thick rounds.
• Scatter the rounds on a large platter, and top with citrus slices and a little thinly sliced red onion. Squeeze lemon juice over everything, and sprinkle with flaky salt, black pepper and mint, if using.

CRANBERRY DOUBLE LAYER MOLD

Steps:

• Stir boiling water into combined gelatin and spices in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold juice. Remove 1-1/2 cups of the gelatin; set aside for later use. Refrigerate remaining gelatin 1-1/2 hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves definite impression). Stir in fruit. Spoon into 7-cup mold sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set but not firm (gelatin should stick to finger when touched and should mound).
• Meanwhile, refrigerate reserved gelatin 1-1/4 hours or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites). Stir in whipped topping with wire whisk until well blended. Spoon over gelatin layer in mold.
• Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Unmold. Garnish as desired. Store leftover gelatin in refrigerator.

LAYERED SWEET POTATO AND CRANBERRY CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Bake the potatoes in a 350 degree F. oven for about an hour or until tender. I actually baked 5 potatoes and found I needed the extra one for the casserole. You may also boil the potatoes, but I find baking them gives a sweeter taste; also, they peel easier. Drain potatoes if they were boiled. In either case let the potatoes cool enough to handle and peel the potatoes. You can do this step a day or two ahead of time. Place potatoes in a covered container and refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the potatoes in 1/4-inch slices. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and layer the slices in the dish, overlapping them slightly. You'll have 3 or 4 vertical rows depending on how "fat" your potatoes are.
• Sprinkle the potatoes with half the brown sugar; dot with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter. Top with 1/2 of the cranberries. Repeat layers, using remaining brown sugar and cranberries. Pour orange juice over the top of the casserole.
• Cover casserole and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.
• Combine the walnuts, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cinnamon; stir well. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the casserole and return to the oven. Bake, uncovered, an additional 10 minutes.