New England Cranberry Duff

When it comes to finding a new Thanksgiving recipe to try out there is one place I know I can turn to for a new idea….Martha Stewart’s website.

The holidays are when man of us bring out those old classic recipes (Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Turkey), but I always try out a new recipe each year. It could be a new stuffing recipe, a side dish or even a delicious dessert.

This year I choose a dessert recipe from Marths Stewart’s Thanksgiving section.

To make this Northeastern interpretation of an old-fashioned upside-down cake, cranberries and toasted pecans are topped with buttery batter, then baked and inverted. The cranberries soften in the oven but the pecans stay crunchy, lending a textural flourish.

New England Cranberry Duff
Serves 6

1/2 cup unsalted butter, (1 stick), softened
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter bottom and halfway up sides of an 8-inch square glass baking dish using 2 tablespoons butter. Spread cranberries evenly over bottom of dish. Sprinkle pecans on top, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar; set aside.

Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; set aside. Put egg and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low; gradually beat in flour, and then salt. Pour in melted butter in a slow, steady stream, beating until smooth.

Slowly pour batter into pan to cover cranberries. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen, and invert to unmold onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.