Cranberries...A North American Specialty

Cranberries...A North American Specialty Cranberries are one of the few fruits native to North America. In fact, long before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, cranberries were a staple in the diets of American Indians. According to The Cranberry Book (1883), wild cranberries ripened in such abundance that they were eaten fresh, ground, or mashed with cornmeal and baked into bread. Dried berries were mixed with wild game to form pemmican, a survival ration for long trips. Maple sugar or honey was used to sweeten the berries' tangy flavor. Cranberry juice was used by the Indians to dye rugs and blankets. They made poultices from unripe berries, and even believed the berry had special powers to calm the nerves. Special powers aside, one thing is for certain-cranberries taste great! The following recipes are some of my family's favorites. Try them and see if you don't agree that cranberries make everything taste better! Cranberry Caramel Cake Cake: 1-cup sugar 3 tbsp butter 2 cups flour 1-cup milk 2 tsp salt 2 cups fresh cranberries ½ cup chopped pecans, (optional) Sauce: 1-cup light brown sugar 1-cup butter (no substitutes) 1-cup granulated sugar 2 cups heavy whipping cream Cake: Cream butter and sugar; add milk alternating with sifted dry ingredients. Stir in whole cranberries, which have been washed, drained, and lightly floured. Add pecans if desired. Pour into a greased and floured 7 ½ x 11-¾ glass baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with caramel sauce. Note: This cake does not contain eggs. Sauce Directions: Combine all ingredients into a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil; stir well; serve warm over warm cake. Refrigerate caramel sauce. Glazed Cranberry Lemon Bread 4 tbsp butter ¾ cup sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp grated lemon rind 2 cups flour 2-½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp. salt ¾ cup milk 1-cup chopped cranberries ½ cup chopped walnuts Glaze: 1 tbsp lemon juice 4-6 tbsp powered sugar Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and lemon rind (can add 1 tbsp lemon juice for more flavor). Sift dry ingredients; add alternately to egg mixture with milk. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes. Let cool then remove from pan. Drizzle with glaze. Wrap and store overnight.