Cranberry Maple Butter Food

MAPLE CRANBERRY BUTTER IN 15 MINUTES!

Steps:

• Rinse the cranberries and put them in a large heavy saucepan or pot. A Dutch oven works well.
• Stir in the maple syrup.
• Bring the mixture up to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down a bit and boil the berries for about 5-10 minutes, until they pop open, soften, and the mixture starts to thicken from the natural pectin in the berries. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Note: watch out for those popping berries, they can spit and the mixture is hot.
• Let the cranberry sauce cool a little bit and then transfer to a high speed blender like a Vitamix, or a full sized food processor.
• Process until completely smooth and silky. Note: if your mixture is still hot, take care to cover the top of your machine with a dishcloth to prevent any of the hot mixture erupting.
• At this point my butter was thick and spreadable. If yours is a little looser, you can put it back in your cleaned out saucepan and cook down a little further until it is as thick as you like it. Remember fruit butter thickens further as it chills in the refrigerator.
• Spoon the finished cranberry butter into clean jars, let cool, and then cap and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks to a month.
• To can your butter, pour hot butter into hot sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. (Adjust process times for high altitudes.) Remove canner from heat and remove canner lid. Wait five minutes before removing jars. Let cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when you press in the center.

PUMPKIN-CRANBERRY SCONES WITH WHIPPED MAPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• For the scones: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
• Whisk together the buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the wet mixture to the dry along with the cranberries and candied ginger. Mix until it is all just combined (do not over-mix or the scones will be tough).
• Transfer to a lightly-floured surface and knead the dough gently 4 or 5 times. Pat the dough into a circle that is about 8 inches round and about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut the circle in half, and then cut each half into 4 pie-shaped wedges (triangles). Place the scones on the baking sheet and brush the tops with the heavy cream.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes before serving.
• For the butter: Meanwhile, combine the cream, maple syrup and sea salt in the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on low speed at first, then once the mixture begins to thicken, increase the speed and whip until light and fluffy and has turned into butter. Don't over-mix the butter or it will break.

CRANBERRY MAPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine cranberries and apple juice in saucepan. Bring to boil over medium high heat, reduce heat, cover, and boil gently for 5 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring frequently.
• Remove from heat and puree mixture in food processor until smooth. Press through sieve and discard seeds.
• Return to saucepan; add maple syrup, honey and cinnamon and boil gently, uncovered for 10 minutes or until thickened.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Ladle into hot jars and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

CRANBERRY BUTTER

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries and the orange juice and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Drain the cranberries in a sieve and chop them finely. When they are cool, combine with the butter and the confectioners sugar and beat with a wooden spoon until completely combined. Pack into small ramekins or roll into a tube in heavy plastic wrap. Refrigerate until needed, then remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.

CRANBERRY-MAPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine the water and cranberries in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until cranberries pop. Place cranberry mixture in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth.
• Combine cranberry mixture, maple syrup, sugar, and cinnamon in pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat ; simmer, uncovered 25 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring frequently. Stir in vanilla. Cool. Store in refrigerator up to 2 months.

SMALL-BATCH CRANBERRY MAPLE BUTTER (CANNING)

Steps:

• Combine cranberries and apple juice in a medium non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 5 minutes until cranberries pop, stirring frequently.
• Remove from heat and cool slightly, then puree mixture in a food processor until smooth. Press through a sieve and discard seeds. Return sieved mixture to saucepan, add maple syrup, honey, and cinnamon and simmer, uncovered, ten minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Ladle into hot jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.