How to Make Candied Cranberries

candied cranberries

Cranberries seem to be the quintessential holiday flavor. I saw them everywhere this past Thanksgiving.

I do admit, they provide a great tart flavor contrast to savory dishes like stuffing & biscuits while also cutting the sweetness in desserts like pecan pie.

And how can you beat the beautiful bright red color!

I have always loved dried cranberries. I can eat crasins almost non-stop and cranberry sauce is my favorite thing about Thanksgiving.

But, this was the first Thanksgiving I have ever bough whole, fresh cranberries.

I’m so glad I decided to try something new. My sister made fresh cranberry sauce, and I made candied cranberries.

We both agreed the sauce was the best we have ever had, and the candied cranberries are going to become a new holiday tradition.

finished cranberries 1 How to Make Candied Cranberries

If you have never had a cranberry in its close to natural state like this, you should try this recipe immediately. The tartness from the cranberries is not at all overwhelming, and they are just sweet enough to feel like a treat.

I made them two different ways, once with orange liqueur and once with coconut extract. Both recipes were absolutely delicious.

If you are going to be serving these to children, you might want to use something like coconut extract. I think orange extract would also match the tartness of the cranberries well. [Read more...]

The Pumpkin Fudge Failure

Pumpkin Fudge

After roasting and pureeing my pumpkin I started looking for recipes to use it in.

I found a fudge recipe online from CookingCache.com. I had never made fudge before, but I was confident in my candy making abilities.

I thought there was no way fudge could be harder then caramels, and wanted to give them a try. I failed miserably not once, but twice.

The first time I thought I knew what was wrong, so I tried again. I was wrong on that too. Maybe one of you know what I am doing wrong??

The Ingredients are the same for both attempts (besides the chocolate/butterscotch chip difference noted below)

Pumpkin Fudge Ingredients 2 The Pumpkin Fudge Failure

Pumpkin Fudge

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups organic sugar
  • 3/4 cup organic unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 TSP cinnamon
  • 1/4 TSP ginger
  • 1/4 TSP nutmeg
  • 2 cups butterscotch chips
  • 1 cup marshmallow fluff or 1 of the little 7 oz jars
  • 1 cup chopped pecans (I was going to use walnuts)
  • 1 TSP vanilla

Fudge Failure #1

I followed the directions exactly…except I didn’t have butterscotch chips, only chocolate chips and I thought I’d see how that was. Well…this is what happened…

  1. In a large pot I combined the sugar, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin, and spices.
  2. I then, stirring constantly, brought it to a boil over medium low until it reached 234º F on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage).

All was going well up to this point….It registered to the correct temperature and it took the suggested 25 minutes. I then went to do the next step, stir in the chips until melted.

I took the pot off the heat and added the chocolate chips. I instantly knew I had made a mistake. Of course the chocolate was going to seize. This was WAY too hot to mix and melt chocolate into. DUH.

So I threw away my mistake and decided to get some butterscotch chips to try again.

Pumpkin Fudge Failure1 2 The Pumpkin Fudge Failure

Fudge Failure #2

With butterscotch chips in hand, I knew I was going to get it right this time.

I followed the same first 2 steps and everything was going exactly the same as last time. I was so excited! I was totally convinced it was going be PERFECT.

Then I went to add the butterscotch chips… My results?  Exactly the same as last time. I have no idea what went wrong, or if it’s just the recipe.

Pumpkin Fudge Failure 2 The Pumpkin Fudge Failure

If anyone knows what’s wrong, I’d love to know! Also…if anyone has a recipe for pumpkin fudge they know definitely works and they are willing to share it with me please send me a message on Twitter or Facebook!

 

 

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