Sunday, September 23, 2007

Fun Monday - I Am Really Not a Cook

Lisa, The Food Snob, hostess of this week's Fun Monday, challenge asks us appropriately asks to share a favorite recipe.

I do not claim to be much of a cook. My husband, Daddy D, will eat anything. I am a somewhat picky eater, but I do not usually care what we ingest. Although neither of us is suffering from malnutrition, we follow the old adage of "eating to live rather than living to eat." My cooking frequently consists of warming up something or ordering from the fast food attendant. However, I do throw together one dish that seems to receive rave reviews. My dish is Molly's Cranberry Pie. I first prepared this pie for our pastor and bride-to-be. He enjoyed the pie so much that I was paid this high compliment , "Molly is no Martha Stewart, but she makes the best cranberry pie." With such high praise of not living up to standards set by a felon, I started making the pie frequently. I would like to show you a picture of the pie, but I could not find cranberries to make a pie for this Fun Monday. I guess it is early in the season for the cranberry crop. When I do find cranberries, I buy several bags and freeze the tart berries so that I can make pies throughout the year.

Molly’s Cranberry Pie
· 3 cups cranberries, washed and sorted
· 1 cup raisins (golden raisins make a prettier filling)
· 1 cup light brown sugar
· 1/2 cup water
· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1/4 cup orange juice
· 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 2 tablespoons butter
· 9” pie crust
Preheat oven to 450° F.
In a large, heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients except vanilla and butter, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and, stirring frequently, gently boil the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, until it thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour filling into an unbaked, pastry-lined 9-inch pie shell, and dot with butter.
Top with Walnut Cinnamon Crumb Topping.
Bake at 450° F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F and bake 35 minutes more or until golden brown.

Walnut Cinnamon Crumb Topping

· 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
· 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
· 3 tablespoons of butter
· chopped walnuts
· 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Using a pastry blender in a medium-sized mixing bowl, cut the butter into the flour
and sugar mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

35 comments:

theotherbear said...

Yum, that sounds great. I have never tried cranberry pie but I think I would love it! Cranberries just aren't big here. Even just Cranberry juice is expensive - I pay almost $6 for a 1.25 litre bottle of cranberry juice.

daddy d said...

Why, yes Cranberry pie is very, very good.

Anonymous said...

Ooohh, this pie sounds yummy!

I love cranberries and walnuts. I haven't made a pie in a while, but I think I need to give this one a try.

Anonymous said...

What is the quantity for the walnuts?

Anonymous said...

I can say, from first hand experience, that this is by far my favorite pie! The recipe will be forever plastered to my refrigerator. Thanks Mjd!

Anonymous said...

Your pie sounds delicious. I will have to try it out on my family at Thanksgiving!!

Jen said...

I've bookmarked your recipe! Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

I've never heard of cranberry pie - but I bet it is delicious - a kind of sweet-tart flavor? I will have to try this one.

Anonymous said...

Ditto theotherbear!

Anonymous said...

Bookmarked here, too!

I've never even tried cranberry juice, let alone fresh cranberries...

Have a great week!

Anonymous said...

This sounds delectable! I drink gallons of cranberry juice and just love the taste of cranberry. Writing this recipe down!

Nessa said...

My mother loves cranberries. I think I will try this for her. Sounds yummy.

Anonymous said...

You had me wanting some ......until I got to raisens part, ewwwwww.......
Molly Mouse makes the best ever pumpkin bread, but then she also puts raisens in it.
One time she made this beautiful pie....looked picture perfect and it was a pot pie.
REM

Nancy said...

Yummm, sounds so good .... but I have to admit, I'd rather go th the bakery then attempt this myself.

I am terrible in the kitchen, the only thing I can make good is reservations.

Debs said...

OH OH OH these sound so good!!! I am not a cook either, but I keep trying.

Unknown said...

Sister! You must be my long lost sister with your cooking skills and picky eating ways. :) So glad to have found you.

Your recipe sounds delish! I wonder how good cranberries ould keep to be mailed? We have tons of cranberries here, not sure when the harvest is but. . .we even have cranjack cheese, which my dad has fallen in love with.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I've never had cranberry pie, but this sounds perfect for Thanksgiving.
Thanks for your post!

Kaytabug said...

I have never heard of cranberry pie...but this recipe sounds mouthwatering!! Thanks for sharing!!

Read Lisa's Chaos comment and cranjack cheese? That sounds yummy!!!

Anonymous said...

It looks divine. And if I switch out the butter, it's even vegan! (something I search for nowadays)

Robinella said...

That sounds divine! I'll be saving that one - not that I would able to make it or anything.

Unknown said...

Sounds great for autumn. I'll have to give it to my mother to make at Thanksgiving. I'd ruin it, for sure.

Anonymous said...

I am definitely making this. I love cranberries and we actually have a bog near by where I can buy them fresh. If I get off my lazy butt that is!

Anonymous said...

Well, I just found my "surprise" pie for Thanksgiving. I always try to make one that I've never served, and this one will be the one. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I have never had cranberry pie. The recipe looks awesome, I might have to make it. I love a tart pie so this would be just my thing.

Anonymous said...

I bet this is as pretty to look at as it is to eat; the topping would be my favorite part :).

Isn't it cool to be "known" for something? You'll need to post a picture of this next time you make it.

Pamela said...

this calls for me to bake a pie.
I've often put cranberries in with apples for a nice pink and juicy "crapple pie" ... not really what is called, but I thought it was funny.

this once sounds like a winner.

Margaret said...

I know I would love this pie. I adore cranberries, and the topping sounds marvelous! I am not much of a cook either.

Anonymous said...

They look like good enough recipe's but I am a picky enough eater, that I wouldn't like =(

When dessert time comes, I like store bought, celefane wrapped cupcakes..I have even blogged about it lol

I don't eat any kind of pie, if you can believe it!!

Lynne said...

I've never had cranberry pie either, but this sounds very good indeed! I think I might just have to try this out! Thanks, MJD!

ChrisB said...

I love cranberries and will try this recipe near Christmas when we get fresh cranberries in our shops (well not that fresh as they are flown in)!!

Frema said...

It really is very good. And I normally don't even like cranberries!

TLP said...

I just got another volunteer gig: baking for people who go to a food kitchen because they have AIDS and don't have enough money to cover meds and food. (I am involved in way too many of these volunteer things, but what can a person do?)
Anyway, I can use this recipe! Cranberries are good for you.

Anonymous said...

This is a new recipe for me. I've never had the pleasure of having a slice of cranberry pie.
I love cranberry apple juice before. This would be a delicious holiday pie to make. I've booked marked it.
Thanks for sharing.

bichonpawz said...

Being from New England....I love cranberries!! Reminds me so much of Cape Cod! I'll have to give this recipe a try...although I am not much of a cook, it looks pretty basic. Thanks!!

Beccy said...

The cranberry pie sounds delicious, I must try it when I can get some cranberries.