Summer Wishes, Winter Dream: Cranberry Shortcake for the Holidays

If you’re thinking about holiday desserts and wishing it were summer so you could serve strawberry shortcake, here’s an interesting thought: Why not make cranberry shortcakes?

The cranberry filling is a simple preparation--fresh cranberries cooked only with sugar, cinnamon and orange peel. The shortbreads, made with toasted chopped pecans, are light and airy inside with slightly crusty exteriors. Dusted with powdered sugar and filled with the glistening cranberry mixture, they look stunning.

Even better, the cranberry filling can be assembled up to two days ahead and the shortcakes baked early on the day needed. This is a truly stellar ending to a holiday fete.

CRANBERRY

SHORTCAKES

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water

2 (12-ounce) packages cranberries

4 teaspoons very thin julienne-cut orange zest

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Several branches long-needled pine, optional

Shortcakes

Powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups whipping cream, whipped until just firm

Combine granulated sugar with 1 cup water in large, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add 6 cups cranberries, orange zest and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, 5 to 6 minutes or until berries pop. Remove pan from heat.

Combine cornstarch with remaining 3 tablespoons water and stir mixture along with remaining 2 cups cranberries into cooked berries. Cook, stirring, until mixture has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes or longer. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. (Cranberry mixture can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. When cool, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)

Arrange pine sprigs on 10 dessert plates. For each serving, split 2 Shortcakes and place bottoms on plate. Ladle cranberry mixture over each half and place tops on slightly askew. Dust tops with powdered sugar. Serve immediately. Pass whipped cream separately in bowl. Makes 10 servings of 2 shortcakes each.

Note: To toast pecans, place coarsely chopped nuts on rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and cool.

Shortcakes

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/3 cup shortening, well-chilled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

3/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm

3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans

Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in large mixing bowl. With pastry blender or 2 dinner knives, cut shortening into dry ingredients until mixture resembles oats. Make well in center and pour in milk and butter, stirring with fork until dough just holds together. Stir in pecans and mix well.

Place dough on lightly floured work surface and knead 7 to 8 times until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Reflour surface, then roll dough into 1/2-inch thick circle. Using 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out 20 shortcakes and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees on center shelf until golden and puffed, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Shortcakes can be baked several hours ahead and kept loosely covered with foil at room temperature.