Cranberry Pie
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Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

Cranberry Pie

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 7 hr 20 min (includes chilling and cooling times)
  • Active: 1 hr
  • Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Cranberries in various forms are included from start to finish in this vibrant dessert: from dehydrated cranberries in the crust, to fresh cranberries in the filling, to beautifully frosted fresh cranberries on top. A gorgeous addition to your holiday dessert table, this pie is creamy, tart and tangy, with just the right amount of sweet.

Ingredients

Crust:

Filling:

Decorations:

Directions

  1. For the crust: Add the flour, cranberries, sugar and salt to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter, pulsing until you have pea-sized pieces. Mix together the vodka and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the vodka mixture to the flour mixture and pulse, adding more of the vodka mixture a tablespoon at a time as needed, until the dough comes together when gently pinched (you may not need to add all of it). Dump the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, flatten into a disc and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
  2. Put the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 1/4-inch-thick round. Use the rolling pin to help guide the dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Press gently into the corners of the pie plate and crimp the edges decoratively. Refrigerate for 1 hour.   
  3. Arrange an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with the tines of a fork. Place a piece of parchment on top of the dough and fill with pie weights or baking beans. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment and pie weights and bake until golden around the edges and light golden in the center, an additional 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely.  
  4. For the filling: Add 2 tablespoons triple sec to a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over top; set aside.  
  5. Add the cranberries, orange zest and juice, ginger, 1/2 cup sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons triple sec to a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until the cranberries begin to pop and break down, about 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture until completely dissolved and combined. Transfer the mixture to a blender and let cool slightly, then puree until very smooth. Pour into a large bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.  
  6. When the mixture has cooled, add the heavy cream to a stand mixture fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high, streaming in the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar slowly, until the mixture reaches stiff peaks. Stir one-third of the whipped cream into the cranberry mixture to lighten it. Then fold the cranberry mixture into the remaining whipped cream until no streaks remain. Add the filling to the pie crust. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.  
  7. For the decorations: Before serving, beat the egg white together with 1 tablespoon water. Toss the cranberries in the egg white mixture, then drain completely using a wide-mesh strainer. Put the sugar in a medium bowl, add the cranberries and toss to coat completely. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet to dry.  
  8. Pile whipped cream in the center of the pie, top with the cranberries and sprinkle with the orange peel strips.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.) If you prefer, you can substitute equal amounts of orange juice for the triple sec in this recipe.