49°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

The delectable cranberry duo

I jokingly call this time of year "pumpkin-flavored-everything time". Yet in the shadow of the squash is the equally endearing cranberry. While cranberry on its own is tart and berry-licious, if you want to make cranberry sing, pair it with orange. If you want to make cranberry and orange sizzle, pair them with jalapeño.

Oh, yesss.

This jam is sweet, slightly spicy and unbelievably addictive. Besides giving a major upgrade to your turkey sandwich, you'll love it with cream cheese and crackers as an appetizer. It's also a delectable glaze for turkey, chicken, pork and salmon.

To take this over the top, serve it on fresh-from-the-oven cranberry orange bread. Outrageously

delicious. It's easy, inexpensive and you really need to make this.

CRANBERRY ORANGE JALAPENO JAM

YIELD: 2 CUPS - COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES

What You'll Need:

3½ cups (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries

Zest and juice from one orange

1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed - fine dice (WEAR GLOVES!!!)

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup water

¾ cup sugar

Pinch salt

1 ½ tablespoons low or no sugar pectin

Here's How:

In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, orange zest and juice, jalapeño, vinegar, water, sugar and salt.

Bring to a gentle boil for 10 minutes as the cranberry skins burst. Take a potato masher and smoosh it all together.

Add the pectin and stir well to combine. Bring back to a boil for 3 minutes as the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let cool. This makes 2 cups of jam and fills two (8 oz.) glass jars.

Refrigerate and use within 3 weeks.

CRANBERRY ORANGE SODA BREAD

YIELD: 1 LOAF - PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES - COOK TIME: 50 MINUTES

This nontraditional twist on Irish Soda Bread is crusty, buttery and bursting with flavor.

What You'll Need:

4 cups cup all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ cup (1 stick) cold butter

1 ¾ cups buttermilk

1 large egg

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup dried cranberries

Here's How:

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment or nonstick spray. In a large bowl, mix together four cups flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Use a cheese grater to grate the butter right into the flour mixture and stir to distribute. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, orange zest and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the dough comes together. Add the dried cranberries and stir. Dough will be sticky.

Place the dough onto a floured flat surface. Sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough and begin kneading, adding flour as you go until the bread is no longer sticky and you can knead it easily. Form dough into a round loaf and place on the baking sheet.

With a sharp knife, cut an "X" into the top. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes, until golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when you tap it. Let cool for 10 minutes before you devour it. Happy Thanksgiving!

Frugal Festivity contributed by Patti Diamond from Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! www.divasonadime.com. Join us on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Beatty Clinic gets tons of help with new a/c

BEATTY — The Beatty Foundation, an affiliate of AngloGold-Ashanti (AGA), did tons of good at the Beatty Clinic on March 22. Nine tons, exactly.

How an injured and abandoned dog in Pahrump overcame the odds

A stray dog that was homeless, hospitalized and facing euthanasia earlier this month is now on the mend thanks to several in the community who helped raise thousands for its life-saving care.

End of an era: 50-year-old Beatty business closing

Owner Jane Cottonwood, who made ribbons, trophies and awards for organizations all over the country, plans to retire and close her shop at the end of February.

PHOTOS: How Pahrump helped dozens facing homelessness

Every three months, the Community Crisis Intervention Committee puts together the Homeless Wraparound, quarterly happenings geared specifically toward serving those experiencing homelessness in Pahrump.

PHOTOS: Wild horses come home for the holidays

The wild horse herds that were removed from the Pahrump Valley earlier this year are finally home, and just in time for Christmas. Here’s how the community came together and made it happen.

Community Christmas Dinner set for Dec. 23

Christmas is just around the corner and it’s all hands on deck for the Pahrump Holiday Task Force as the nonprofit prepares to celebrate the season with the entire community.

A night of cookies with Santa

This past Saturday, the valley was invited to enjoy some cookies with Santa and dozens of families turned out for an evening filled with festive fun.