BEST BITES: 8 RECIPES USING CRANBERRIES!

I absolutely LOVE cranberries; they're tart and sweet and perfectly brighten up any recipe.

Here are 8 cranberry recipes I've made and think are perfect for the season- so Pin this image for later when you're looking for a great dessert/drink/snack to make with the cranberries in your fridge!

1. CRANBERRY APPLE GALETTE: I make 2 of these every year for Thanksgiving, and then a few more for assorted Christmas parties- and they're always such a crowd pleaser! SO much easier to make than a pie, but just as delicious.

2. CRANBERRY MOSCOW MULE: Moscow mules are one of my favorite cocktails, and the cranberries just make them that much more festive.

3. CRANBERRY LEMON BREAD: One year I made quite a few mini loaves of this and gave them out as gifts and I'm pretty sure people liked the bread more than anything else I bought them. #win.

4. CRANBERRY CHAMPAGNE FIZZ: This post is from SO long ago so the pictures are awful, but the drink is fabulous!

5. CRANBERRY ORANGE SCONES: If you're a cranberries-for-breakfast kind of person, these scones are for you.

6. CRANBERRY ORANGE COSMO: This is just like a classic cosmo with less lime and more orange- a little sweeter, and dangerously boozy.

7. CRANBERRY ORANGE COOKIES: Chewy, tart, and always super easy to make.

8. CRANBERRY BLUE CHEESE WONTONS: These are technically cranberry pecan blue cheese cream cheese wontons...but that title was just too long. These are baked, not fried...so go ahead and tell yourself they're healthy!

What's your favorite cranberry recipe?

Let me know, I'd love to try it!

xo, lp

For more colorful things, follow me on instagram here -->  @lpodlich

CRANBERRY (lemon) BREAD

If you've been keeping track, this is my third week in a row sharing a baking recipe including cranberries.

No, this wasn't by accident.

Since you can only find fresh cranberries in the stores for a few months out of the year, I always make sure to share a lot of recipes that use them around the holidays! This recipe is a great one to bring into work because it's tart and tangy rather than cloyingly sweet like the other holiday sweets out there. 

If you use little loaf pans to bake these, they look adorable with a little bit of twine or ribbon wrapped around them!

What you'll need to make it happen:

3 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups fresh cranberries

3 teaspoons lemon zest (could also use orange!)

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup skim milk

2/3 cup veggie or canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Mix together your flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. 

Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix your cranberries, sugar, zest, milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Once well mixed, slowly add in your flour mixture.

Step 3: Lightly grease two bread pans, and evenly distribute your mixture in each. ( If you want to use small bread pans to give the loaves as gifts, this will be enough batter for 5-6 small pans.)

Step 4: Put your bread in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes (40 for the smaller pans). You'll know it's done by inserting a toothpick or knife and pulling it out cleanly!

Step 5: Let cool for 15 minutes and pop out of the pan. Enjoy with butter or just by itself!

 Like I said, wrap it up and give it as a gift!

Now, if you love this bread and want to make it year round, be sure to buy a few extra bags of cranberries and freeze them- this way you'll have cranberries to use all year long!

What is your favorite holiday treat to bring into work?

If you don't have one yet, try this one this year!

xo, lp 

ORANGE CRANBERRY SCONES!

I had never made scones until a week ago because I had heard they were hard to make.

That and saying "oh, I took a lazy Sunday to bake sounds" sounds hella pretentious. But that's exactly what I did, folks. I baked some pretentious scones, and they were delicious. Soft, light, fruity- not at all dry or bland. 

Hats off to my girl Martha for the recipe, although I added more zest and cranberries to it for some extra flavor. For the original recipe, go here.  Wouldn't want to take credit for that little lady's work, now would we? The only reason I'm walking through the steps is because my girl MS does make the process sound more difficult than it needs to be, and I don't want you all getting scared by her fancy descriptions and use of pastry blenders.

What you'll need to make it happen:

1 1/2 cups of flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons orange zest 

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into teeny pieces

3/4 cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup buttermilk

Parchment paper

Extra flour for cutting surface

How to make it happen:

1. Get your oven to 400 degrees, and set up your parment lined pan, as well as a flour dusted cutting board to the side.

2. Mix together your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and zest. 

3. Add in your butter. Now, Martha uses a pastry blender, whatever the heck that is. I used a wooden spatula and a knife to cut through and get it well mixed, until it was a thick meal texture. Add in your cranberries and mix well.

4. Create a well/hole in the middle of your batter, pour the buttermilk in, and give it just enough of a stir so there aren't any dry pockets. 

5. Here comes the fun and sticky part. Dust your hands with flour (dear lord wash them first) and transfer your mixture onto the flour dusted cutting board, patting your dough into about an 8 inch wide domed circle. Using a flour dusted knife, cut your dough into 8 triangles, before transferring to your pan, and inch or so apart.

6. Bake for about 14-18 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs. Wait until golden brown and take out!

Voila! There you have it. SCONES people, scones. Not pretentious at all. Especially when you scatter cranberries around them.  Please note below there are only 7 pictured. I got so excited to try them I ate one before remembering to take pictures. #bloggerfail

 So there you have it folks-  easy and delicious cranberry scones!

I'm thinking of trying a cinnamon oat scone next. 

Anyone have any good flavor combos they'd like to see?

Email them to me beautyandbeard@gmail.com!

xo, lp

*pssssssst. mom- are you out there reading this? bet you'd like this recipe!

(the easiest) CRANBERRY APPLE GALETTE

My dear friends.

I've been making this recipe for a few years now, and while I started doing so with my mom for Thanksgiving, it is now my go-to dessert to bring to parties. I can whip it up without measuring a bit and have it done and baked in under 45 minutes. Booya.

It's INFINITELY easier than a pie, and looks like something out of Martha Stewart (yes, horn tooting going on here). I present to you, my friends, the only holiday dessert recipe you need. Pin it now, thank me later:

What you'll need to make it happen:

1 1/2 McIntosh or Granny Smith apples, peeled.

1 lemon (both zest and juice)

1 pre-made pie crust

3/4 cups fresh cranberries

1 egg white

1 Tablespoon flour

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)

Parchment paper

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Cut your peeled apples into thin half moon slices, saving the ends (yes, I call them the "butts") too, for surrounding the cranberries.

Step 2: Mix together your apples, cranberries, cinnamon, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest in a big bowl, until the fruit is thoroughly coated.

Step 3: Roll out your dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and begin layering your apples about 1.5 inches from the edge. Yes, take the time to make them look pretty- they won't be covered in crust like a pie!

Step 4: Fill the middle of the apple slice circle with cranberries, and keep them from rolling away by surrounding them with the apple ends!

Step 5: Now comes the time when you get to make the crust all pretty. Rub some egg white on your crust to get started, and begin to fold and pinch on a diagonal around the crust, sealing over and over with the egg white. Just fold far enough in to cover the edges of the apples.

Step 6: Do a final layer of egg white wash around the top of the crust and sprinkle well with sugar!

Step 7: Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes on a TOP rack. This of course depends on how hot your oven runs, but mine is pretty toasty, so it gets the job done quickly. Take out once golden brown and allow to cool!

 I tried only making 2 of these for Thanksgiving this year and my sister promptly told me that would not be sufficient. Boy was she right!

What is your go-to holiday dessert dish?

Any recipes I should try? Do share!

xo, lp