This recipe was inspired by Ruth, a Fresh From the Vine customer, who was kind enough to share her Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cranberry Pie recipe with Chris and Lindsay. “She has been a loyal customer from the very beginning. When we made her pie for Thanksgiving last year, it was gone in seconds,” says Lindsay.
I tweaked Ruth’s original recipe a little. I substituted light brown sugar for some of the white sugar, included the zest of one orange, and added fresh rosemary sprigs and candied cranberries for garnishing. The orange zest and candied cranberries kick everything up a notch. Trust me! To save time, make the candied cranberries while the pie is baking.
This pie can be served warm, or at room temperature, and tastes divine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. It freezes well, too. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, and then bring to room temperature before serving. If desired, it can be lightly covered with aluminum foil, and reheated in the oven at 200°F for 15-20 minutes.
While this pie is meant to be served as dessert, it makes a delicious breakfast or brunch treat too, as it has a cake-like consistency.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1 navel orange)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (or any nut of choice)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of white sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup of flour
- 1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick)
- 1/4 cup softened shortening
- Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish (optional)
- Candied cranberries for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Inspect cranberries. Toss any that are shriveled or bruised. Remove any small stems that you see. Rinse and pat dry.
Zest orange. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease bottom of 10” pie plate.
In a medium-sized bowl, add cranberries, orange zest, pecans, and brown sugar. Mix pie filling and spread evenly on the bottom of the pie plate.
In a medium-sized bowl, add eggs and beat with a hand mixer. Gradually add white sugar and salt. Mix. Alternate gradually adding flour, butter, and shortening. Mix well. Evenly spoon batter over berry filling.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, and the edges are golden brown. Cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Optional: Serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Garnish with candied cranberries and fresh sprigs of rosemary.
