[Guest Recipe Monday] Cranberry Curd

 Hey Charmers! I could really use some guest bloggers for Recipe Mondays so email me at corvaxgirl [at] gmail [dottie] com with a favorite recipe of yours that you make, a strange sounding retro recipe that you have (and where it came from and if you like, thoughts on the book), a picture of the finished product (optional) and what name you would like it credited to and a link to your blog or shop if you like! 

This week's recipe comes from my friend Amazon Syren.  Follow her foodie and pagan adventures here and learn about her thoughts on being sex positive here.

So, as a Pagan (and a broke-ass Pagan, at that), I have a bit of a Thing for Local Food.  I don’t get bend out of shape around nonperishable stuff like sugar or flour (meaning that, while I typically hope my wheat flour is coming from Saskatchewan, I don’t have Issues about using cane-based sugar from Cuba instead of maple syrup or honey or even beet-based sugar from Canada.  I figure if it takes a month to get here by boat, that’s okay).  It does, however, mean that I’m currently trying to figure out ways to eliminate lemon juice from my cooking.

Weird, I know, but bear with me.

I use a lot of different vinegars (pear cider vinegar is a gorgeously mild and aromatic one, for example) and throw mustard and garlic into a lot of wintery dishes where someone else might be inclined to use a couple of hot peppers for heat or sharpness.

To that end, and because I’ve been going gaga over preserves for the last few months, I tried making cranberry curd.

Now, anyone who’s got Nigella Lawson’s How to Be a Domestic Goddess cook book has come across this recipe, or something pretty damn similar.  I ganked a recipe off the internet and then futzed with it until I got something that would work.

Cranberry Curd

¾ lb cranberries + 1C water, combined in a pot and boiled until mushy

Run the above through a food-processor or a blender until it forms a smooth puree

Return cranberry mixture to the pot and add:

¼ C butter

¾ C sugar

Stir together over very low heat

Beat 3 eggs together with ¼ C sugar until super-smooth

Add it to the cranberry mixture and then allow to thicken over medium heat until it is good and thick and coats the back of a spoon nicely.  (I don’t think it hurts to let it boil, but it definitely works well if you DON’T let it boil.  So… stick with what works?)

Pour the mixture into sterilized jars, then process in a boiling water bath.

Makes 3-4 cups of curd, all told.

 

You can, as indicated above, preserve this stuff the same way you would do for jam or pickles.  However you can also use it in place of lemon curd immediately as a topping for scones or a delicious addition to a coffee cake or what-have-you.

I have to admit, I basically have to bake it into things in order to keep myself from just eating it with a spoon.  But that’s me.

Enjoy!

 

TTFN,

Meliad / Ms Syren