Cranberry Fudge Pie

Thumb_pie

(from redmed2000’s recipe box)

Very easy, start night before

Source: King Arthur Flour

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 10 people

Categories: Dessert

Ingredients

  • Crust
  • 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar
  • 6 tablespoons melted butter
  • *One cellophane-wrapped packet of graham crackers (11 whole crackers) will yield this amount of crumbs.
  • Filling
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate*
  • 2/3 cup (5 3/8 ounces) heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup diced walnuts or pecans
  • *Resist the urge to use bittersweet chocolate; with the acidic tang of the cranberries, it's just too much. You want a dark chocolate that's noticeably sweet; most chocolate chips will be fine. We prefer Peter's Burgundy chunks.
  • Topping*
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries, a generous 3 cups
  • *You'll need about 15 ounces (a scant 1 1/2 cups) topping for the pie. Enjoy the remainder on its own.

Directions

  1. 1) Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  2. 2) To make the crust: Process the crackers, sugar, and melted butter in a food processor until crumbly and well combined.

  3. 3) Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie pan.

  4. 4) Bake the crust for about 7 to 8 minutes, until it’s set, but not brown. Remove from the oven and cool.

  5. 5) To make the filling: Put the chips (or chopped chocolate) and cream in a microwave-safe container, and heat for about 90 seconds.

  6. 6) Remove from the microwave, and stir until the mixture becomes smooth and dark brown; you’re simply making a basic ganache.

  7. 7) Spoon the hot ganache into the cooled crust, and sprinkle the nuts on top.

  8. 8) Refrigerate the pie for at least 1 hour, probably 2, until the ganache has firmed up.

  9. 9) While the pie is chilling, make the topping. Bring the sugar, salt, and cranberry juice to a boil.

  10. 10) Stir in the dried cranberries, and simmer for about 5 minutes.

  11. 11) Add the fresh or frozen cranberries, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until some of the berries have burst.

  12. 12) Remove the cranberries from the heat, spoon into a bowl, and chill.

  13. 13) To finish assembling the pie: Spoon 1 1/2 cups cranberry sauce atop the fudge/nut filling. Chill until ready to serve.

  14. Yield: 9" pie, 8 to 10 rich servings.

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