Cranberry Rita Food

CRANBERRY RITA

Steps:

• Put everything in your blender (mine is a blender on steroids) and blend.
• Pour.
• Enjoy.
• You can replace kumquat, calamondin and orange with lime or lemon for a different flavor. Have fun with it.

ORANGE-CRANBERRY MARGARITA

Steps:

• For the cranberries: Combine the granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and weight with a plate to submerge them in the liquid. Cover the pot and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours.
• Drain the cranberries, reserving the syrup. (Yields about 1 1/2 cups syrup; store leftover syrup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 month.)
• Put the superfine sugar on a baking sheet, and toss the cranberries in the sugar. Refrigerate the cranberries, uncovered, for 1 hour, then toss again in the sugar. Refrigerate in an airtight container. (Makes about 2 cups.)
• For the margarita: In a cocktail shaker, muddle the lime and orange zests with the cranberries, 1/4 cup of the cranberry syrup, and the sugar.
• Add the tequila, orange juice, lime juice and orange liqueur; stir until combined. Fill 4 glasses with ice cubes, and strain some of the margarita mixture over each. Garnish each glass with 6 sugared cranberries.

CRANBERRY CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together warm water, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over.)
• Put 5 cups flour, salt, and remaining sugar in bowl of electric mixer and mix with dough hook at low speed until combined. Whisk together milk and eggs in a small bowl, then add to dry ingredients along with yeast, beating at low speed until flour is incorporated. Beat at medium speed until a very soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Add butter and continue beating at medium speed until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 4 minutes (it will be quite sticky).
• Rinse a large bowl with hot water. Add dough to wet bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Prepare filling:
• Bring water and 1 cup granulated sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and simmer just until they begin to burst, about 2 minutes. Pour through a large sieve into a bowl and cool berries, reserving syrup for another use (such as a flavoring for seltzer).
• Form and bake buns:
• Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and dust with flour, then roll out into a 16-inch square.
• Brush off excess flour, then spread evenly with butter with a small metal offset spatula.
• Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar and sprinkle evenly over dough. Dot dough evenly with drained cranberries, then sprinkle with nuts if using.
• Beginning with side nearest you, roll up dough, firmly but not tightly, into a log, then pinch seam to seal. Trim 1 inch off each end with a large knife and discard, then cut log crosswise into 12 slices.
• Arrange slices, cut sides up, in buttered cake pans (place 1 slice in center of each pan, then evenly space 5 more around it). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F while buns are rising.
• Bake buns in lower third of oven until puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
• Make glaze:
• Stir together confectioners sugar and milk with a fork until smooth. Drizzle over buns while still hot.
• Serve buns warm or at room temperature.

CRANBERRY KETCHUP

Steps:

• Simmer onion in water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, uncovered, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add cranberries and zest and simmer, uncovered, until berries are collapsed, about 10 minutes. Discard zest. Purée berries in a food processor, then force through a large sieve into saucepan and discard solids.
• Stir in sugars, five-spice powder, and salt and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, then cool completely.

CRANBERRY MARGARITA #2

Steps:

• Moisten rim of margarita or martini glass with some cranberry juice.
• Hold glass inverted and dust exterior portion with some granulated sugar so it sticks to the juice on the outside rim.
• Add ice cubes to a cocktail shaker and top with tequila, triple sec, and cranberry juice.
• Replace lid and shake vigorously.
• Pour into prepared glass and serve.
• Salud!