Apple & Pear Sauté

Slivers of unpeeled pear and apple skin add a festive note.

What side can I bring?  Add a recent potluck, our hostess added sauteed apples to a group dinner whose center piece was pulled port.  It was a hit that's inspired me to create a simple and fast Apple & Pear Sauté to accompany all kinds of pork over the holidays.  The key is to create a savory bridge from the fruit to the meat.

Use firm apples for cooking like Macoun, Winesap, Pink Lady or  Granny Smith varieties.  Pears tend to be less firm than apples so you will put them in the pan second but check your pears and if they are quite firm, add all the fruit at once.  Bosc pears are generally a firm pear and you can also use Anjou or Bartletts.  At this time of year, we are often the lucky recipients of sweet Comice pears which are  terrific paired with a tart apple variety.

Herbs like thyme and a little balsamic vinegar provide the savory bridge.  Try to use fresh herbs in this dish.  If you do not have thyme, try a small amount of fresh sage. Oregano would also work.  A drop of honey and butter bring it all together. 

Apple & Pear Sauté
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 apple, partly peeled, cored and sliced
1 pear,  partly peeled, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Method

1. While your roast rests, melt butter in a wide skillet over medium heat.  Add the apples and cook until they are beginning to soften. Gently stir with a wide spatula.  This will take 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the pears and continue to cook, stirring gently to turn fruit.
3. Add balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.
4. Lower the temperature and cover the skillet.  Cook for a few minutes more, until fruit is soft but not breaking down into small pieces.  The slices should keep their shape.  
5. Just before serving toss in fresh thyme.  

 Serve immediately as a side to pork dishes.  

Any leftovers of this quick fruit sauté pairs nicely with cheese.  Serve at room temperature in a small bowl next to the cheese platter.

The Piemaker

Janet's apple mincemeat pie, ready for the oven.  Note the streaks of white lard, visible in the unbaked crust.  Flakiness is good.

This post was originally published on November 10, 2011.  I am re-posting it today in celebration and honor of my godmother, Janet Mahoney who we lost this weekend.  Janet leaves bereft friends and family with memories of her great kindness, acts of generosity and her own, unique view of our world.

I am already missing her wit and divergent opinions about the biggest and smallest things. She reminded me that it is both fair and fun to speak your mind and let others know what you think. And in demonstration of that fairness, she had fun listening to your opinions.

Her precise attitude toward baking has made this less precise baker a better pie and cake baker.  It is a wonderful to know that every time I bake, I will hear her voice again, invoking me with dismayed laughter to keep more flour in the bowl.  XXOO


Pies-Pies-Pies
11/10/2011
Earlier this fall I got a hot tip.  It came from a very reliable source over at a certain cable network.  Pies will be the next big thing.  Move over cupcakes.

You may have already noticed the signs and not just because Thanksgiving pie season is upon us.  Whole slices of pie are suddenly finding their way into our smoothies.  They are getting baked into stunt cakes at the Reading Market in Philadelphia.  Popular pie flavors like apple, key lime and Boston cream pie have been flavoring our yogurt for some time now.

But the real thing has always been big around here. My family was in the pie manufacturing business when I was in high school and through osmosis I learned about Michigan’s cherry harvests and the educational needs of migrant workers’ children.   I helped my mother sort through pie filling recipes  destined to go on the package of the unbaked pie shell crust product. During the holidays we kids helped my parents deliver thank you pies to everyone who had helped us out the year before—especially the mechanics at the garage who kept my mother’s carpool station wagon alive (somehow). 

Later, I worked at Pillsbury’s advertising agency in New York City while they were developing their hugely successful Refrigerated Pie Crust product.   (We called it by its "code name," ARPC –all ready pie crust--- during the test marketing). 

One day, our small media planning team was asked to join a taste test in our company's kitchens.  Could we tell the difference between three apple pies?  One was baked using the Pillsbury test product, one was baked with an all butter crust and one used a lard crust. The test product was good, more than good, as sales have shown these past 25 years.  Still, I was able to distinguish between the three and knew in a flash that the one everyone adored (and my foodie boss thought was made with butter) was the lard crust.  The test product came in a strong second and the butter crust was third.

What’s special about a lard crust?  It creates those flakes we love and keeps a pie from feeling leaden in out tummies.  (These days many people use a half butter/half lard recipe to get both flavor and flakiness.)

Despite my pie company formative years, the real reason I could identify the perfect flaky crust was that my godmother had taught me to make pie dough a few years earlier.  This was the pie we ate when we spent Thanksgiving or Christmas at her home.  One year I asked for the recipe.  She said, “No.”

And after a breath said, “But I will show you how and then you can have the written recipe.” 

Turns out there’s a bit of technique involved.  It helps to feel the cool flour in your hands, see the cornmeal texture emerge between fat and flour, and intuit the amount of moisture in the air versus ice cold water in the measuring cup. It is tricky to describe but so easy once you've seen it done.

So I’m afraid I'll have to stick with tradition.  No written recipe today—but one day I promise I will demonstrate how to make a perfect pie crust.  Or maybe there is someone special in your family who will show you the ropes.  For many of us, cooking together is one of the finest holiday traditions we know.  And whether you roll out your own dough or one from the dairy case, it’s hard to go wrong if you are in the kitchen with a loved one.

If you’ve been taught by a master as I was, this may be the year to start making an extra pie for your teacher or to show someone else how to do it.

Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup

This soup can be made ahead as a concentrate and frozen.  Defrost the concentrate in the microwave on low power and add water or chicken broth for a pure taste of autumn.  Make it this week and you'll have a Thanksgiving first course or day-after soup to go with turkey sandwiches.

Sodium levels stay in check using low sodium broth or water and just enough salt to bring up the sweet-savory flavor of the squash.  An apple (or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce) for every medium-sized butternut squash is added to the soup to give just the right amount of mellow sweetness to this silky soup.  

I bought a half bushel* of butternut squash at the farmers market and making frozen soup concentrate is a great way to store the squash over the winter.  This pureed concentrate is not heavily seasoned  so in addition to using it as a soup base, it can be used as a side dish or even baby food. 
 
Along with the squash, you will need a few apples for this recipe.  Use any apple, especially ones that break down quickly for applesauce like Macintosh or Rome apples.  Your local farmers market has an abundance of apple varieties at this time of year.  Ask them to recommend one you cannot normally get at the supermarket. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup Concentrate
Yield: about 6 cups pureed squash-apple concentrate, enough for 3 quarts of soup

3 medium-large butternut squash
4 apples (or use 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce)
salt & pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425˚K.
2. Carefully cut squash in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds from the cavity at the bottom of each half.  
3. Salt and pepper the squash halves and rub them with a bit of olive oil.  
4. Place face down on a well oiled rimmed backing sheet (you may need two pans).  
5. Roast for 45-60 minutes until squash is cooked through and mashed when you press on flesh with a fork or spoon.
6. While squash roasts, prepare apples.  Peel and core apples than roughly chop.  Place in in a medium saucepan with a few tablespoons of water and cook over medium low heat until softened, about 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on the water level. Juicy apples will not need any more added during cooking while less juicy ones may need some extra to prevent burning.  You can also toss the peeled apples (whole or quartered) in with the squash to roast.  Check them after 20 minutes; they may be soft sooner than the squash. 
7. When the squash and apples are cooked and very soft, remove from heat/oven and allow to cool.
8. When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh from the skin.  Place flesh in a large bowl or pot.  If there is any liquid in your roasting pan and it is not burnt, add it to the pot.  It will add a deep and concentrated flavor to your soup.  Add cooked apples.  
9. Use a potato masher to mash the mixture. Taste and add salt and pepper.  If you have a immersion blender, finish the soup concentrate by pureeing it. You can also use a blender.  If you have neither, spend a little extra time mashing.  Your soup will be a little less smooth but equally delicious. 
10. Cool concentrate completely and store in 1-2 cup containers or freezable bags. Freeze for future use.
11. To make soup from the defrosted concentrate add broth or water on a 1:1 ratio.  If you like a thinner soup, add more liquid.  Taste again for seasoning and add more salt or pepper as desired. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup is good plain or with garnishes like toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), creme fraiche or your favorite hot sauce. 

*How much is a bushel?
A bushel is eight gallons of a dry product.  For winter squash that equals about 50 pounds.  My half bushel filled a brown grocery bag to the brim. My squash were all different sizes but expect about 20 medium-sized butternut squash in a bushel.  They keep well in a cool, dry spot in your house if you are not making all of it into soup. We like to peel, cube and roast it with olive oil and lots of black pepper.  Butternut squash is kid-friendly and a great substitute for potatoes at any fall meal.

Red Pepper Applesauce on Pork

Here is a simple, fast way to serve pork during apple season. Make your own chunky applesauce and stir in some apricot jam, a dash of cayenne and some red pepper flakes to pop some pure flavor.  Wonderful with a simple grilled pork tenderloin, roasted pork loin or chops.

You can add the apricot jam and hot pepper to store-bought applesauce and there are some good ones with just apples (no sugar).  These beat the sugared competition in most taste tests I've done with friends and family. 

Since its apple season though, try this recipe using fresh apples.  Just peel, dice and cook apples in the microwave on high for 2 minutes.  The apples are cooked but still whole and you can mash them with a fork if you want a smoother texture. 

Note-- if you have children at the table, serve the plain (not spicy) cooked apples on their own and let diners add the spicy red pepper-apricot sauce on top as shown in the photo. 

Red Pepper Applesauce
Serves 4 as a condiment

Ingredients
3 apples, preferably a tart variety like Granny Smith or Honey Crisp
pinch salt
3 tablespoons apricot fruit spread (or jam)
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes*
optional: dash cinnamon

* Add more if you love spicy

Method

1. Peel, core and dice the apples.  Place in a microwave-safe bowl.  Stir in a pinch of salt. 
2. Microwave on high 2 minutes.  
3. While the appleas are cooking, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.  Apples are ready when they are softened but still hold their shape.  
4. Stir the apricot-red pepper mixture into the hot apples. 
5. Let sit 15 minutes before serving with pork.  May be served warm or cold. 

Also great as a sandwich spread for leftover cooked pork or chicken.

Fall Back Brunch

The very best day of the year to host a brunch is Sunday, November 4, the weekend following Halloween.  Overnight we “fall back” to standard time and no one’s stomach knows what time it is- breakfast or lunch.  The extra hour gives you time to make brunch.

Even better, here our two recipes that can be made and frozen ahead of time.  The first is a caramel apple coffee cake and the second is a sausage cheese roll baked in store-bought puff pastry. 

Take each dish out of the freezer when you set the clocks back on Saturday night and they will be ready to heat on Sunday morning.  A simple fruit salad or a platter of scrambled eggs completes the meal and makes this a really simple way to enjoy entertaining.  Ask a volunteer to be in charge of coffee, tea, milk/yogurt smoothies blended with frozen fruit or hot cider. 

Make Ahead Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
Makes 2 cakes, each serves 6-8
Ingredients
Caramel Apple Top:
2 apples
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
dash salt
optional: 1/2 cup raisins or toasted, chopped pecans

Batter:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour- all purpose or white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal flour (oatmeal flakes pulverized in food processor or blender to a fine flour-like consistency; measure after pulverizing)
1 teaspoon double acting baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Prepare metal or aluminum pie plates – bottom and sides--by coating well with butter.  melting the butter in the warming oven is helpful.  Sprinkle brown sugar over bottom of pan and top with sliced, peeled apples.  Set aside while you prepare the batter for the coffee cake. Note: If you are planning to freeze the coffeecake, it is best to keep it in the pie plate so use one you can spare for a week or two.  
2. Place stick of butter and 1 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl and using a mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  
3. In a small bowl, mix together flour, oatmeal flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.  
4. Pour buttermilk into a large measuring cup and add cracked eggs and vanilla.  Stir well to break up the eggs.  
5. Add liquid and flour mixtures to butter-sugar mixture in 2 stages, wet ingredients first.  Once incorporated, beat on medium 2-3 minutes.  
6. Carefully pour batter over apples in pie plates.  Bake for 30 minutes.  
7. If serving that day, run a dull knife around edge of pie plate and flip onto a large serving plate.  Caramelized apples and coffee cake will come right out onto plate for serving. If freezing, leave cake in pie plate and wrap well.  Defrost several hours before serving.  When ready to serve, reheat covered coffee cake at 300˚F for 15 minutes to soften brown sugar so the cake will release easily when flipped onto a warmed platter. 

Sausage Roll
This simple sausage roll in pastry was inspired by a rich stuffed crepe recipe that is topped with a sour cream sauce.  While this baked pastry version looks equally impressive, it takes very little time and is easy to eat with knife and fork or by hand, held in a napkin.  You can lighten it up substantially by using turkey sausage and low fat cheeses.  Bake and freeze to reheat later or freeze ready to bake on the day you need it. 

This recipe can be divided in half to make one thicker roll instead of three rolls however since it freezes so well it is worth making the whole thing so you will have an extra appetizer available during the upcoming holidays. 

Cheesy Sausage en Croute
Makes three rolls
Ingredients
1/2 lb breakfast sausage (1/2 package)
1/2 lb turkey sausage
3 oz cream cheese
3 oz  grated cheddar, about 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper
1 sheet puff pastry

Method

1. Cook sausage meats until thoroughly browned and cooked.  Drain well and cool enough to be able to handle.  Mix cooked sausage with cheeses and herbs.  
2. Divide meat mixture in thirds and roll each section into a roll about 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter and 10 inches long.  Wrap rolls individually in plastic wrap or tin foil and refrigerate overnight or until firm (a few hours).
3. Meanwhile, defrost puff pastry according to package directions.  Roll out pastry and cut into 3 strips.  Wrap each sausage log in pastry and seal with an egg wash.  
4. Sausage rolls may be prepared up to this point and either kept refrigerated until you are ready to bake and serve (a few hours ahead) or frozen.  If frozen, do not defrost, but add 5 minutes to cooking time.
5. Preheat oven to 400˚.  Place sausage rolls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Cook 10-12 minutes until pastry is nicely browned.  Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  This will allow rolls to cool and set up for easier slicing.  
6. Slice on the diagonal into 1-2”pieces.  Serve plain or with sour cream and hot sauce.

Pies-Pies-Pies

Tarte Tatin alongside the cast iron skillet it was baked in.

Earlier this fall I got a hot tip.  It came from a very reliable source over at a certain cable network.  Pies will be the next big thing.  Move over cupcakes. 

You may have already noticed the signs and not just because Thanksgiving pie season is upon us.  Whole slices of pie are suddenly finding their way into our smoothies.  They are getting baked into stunt cakes at the Reading Market in Philadelphia.  Popular pie flavors like apple, key lime and Boston cream pie have been flavoring our yogurt for some time now.

But the real thing has always been big around here. My family was in the pie manufacturing business when I was in high school and through osmosis I learned about Michigan’s cherry harvests and the educational needs of migrant workers’ children.   I helped my mother sort through pie filling recipes  destined to go on the package of the unbaked pie shell crust product. During the holidays we kids helped my parents deliver thank you pies to everyone who had helped us out the year before—especially the mechanics at the garage who kept my mother’s carpool station wagon alive (somehow).  

Later, I worked at Pillsbury’s advertising agency in New York City while they were developing their hugely successful Refrigerated Pie Crust product.   (We called it by its "code name," ARPC –all ready pie crust--- during the test marketing).  

One day, our small media planning team was asked to join a taste test in our company's kitchens.  Could tell the difference between three apple pies?  One was baked using the Pillsbury test product, one was baked with an all butter crust and one used a lard crust. The test product was good, more than good, as sales have shown these past 25 years.  Still, I was able to distinguish between the three and knew in a flash that the one everyone adored (and my foodie boss thought was made with butter) was the lard crust.  The test product came in a strong second and the butter crust was third. 

What’s special about a lard crust?  It creates those flakes we love and keeps a pie from feeling leaden in out tummies.  (These days many people use a half butter/half lard recipe to get both flavor and flakiness.) 

Despite my pie company formative years, the real reason I could identify the perfect flaky crust was that my godmother had taught me to make pie dough a few years earlier.  This was the pie we ate when we spent Thanksgiving or Christmas at her home.  One year I asked for the recipe.  She said, “No.”

This year's apple mincemeat pie, ready for the oven.  Note the streaks of white lard, visible in the unbaked crust.  Flakiness is good.

And after a breath said, “But I will show you how and then you can have the written recipe.”  

Turns out there’s a bit of technique involved.  It helps to feel the cool flour in your hands, see the cornmeal texture emerge between fat and flour, and intuit the amount of moisture in the air versus ice cold water in the measuring cup. It is tricky to describe but so easy once you've seen it done. 

So I’m afraid I'll have to stick with tradition.  No written recipe today—but one day I promise I will demonstrate how to make a perfect pie crust.  Or maybe there is someone special in your family who will show you the ropes.  For many of us, cooking together is one of the finest holiday traditions we know.  And whether you roll out your own dough or one from the dairy case, it’s hard to go wrong if you are in the kitchen with a loved one. 

If you’ve been taught by a master as I was, this may be the year to start making an extra pie for your teacher or to show someone else how to do it. 

Apple Chips for Wine Night

It is my turn to bring the appetizers for Wine Night. We’ll be having pizza baked in the outdoor, wood fired oven that my neighbors built.  The wine is from the Finger Lakes region.  Dessert, a surprise. 

With pizza as the main coarse, the appetizer needs to be light.  No bready items and no anti-pasti or cheese that might come too close to imitating the pizza toppings. And, the appetizer needs to compliment the wine. 

It’s fall so roasted nuts and dried fruits come to mind as a nice foil to the dinner.  Guests can nibble and won’t get too full. Dried figs, apricots and dates will boost the flavors of the wines and roasted pecans, peanuts and almonds will balance some of the tannins of younger wines.

Apple chips dusted with herbs that compliment the wine will be the centerpiece of the appetizer spread.  Cinnamon-sugar scented chips are the usual flavor but my mix of dried mint, sage, black pepper and salt with a small amount of sugar will bring out the herbal notes in both the white and red wines being served and adds a sophisticated note to the apple flavor.  This is an easy recipe, but must be started early in the day.

Herbed Apple Chips
Ingredients
4 apples (note recipe can be halved if oven is not large enough for 4 sliced apples)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon each dried mint and sage
1/8 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

1. Arrange racks in oven so that they are evenly spaced.  Check how many sheet pans you can fit on the racks.  One medium sliced apple will fill a large baking sheet. This will determine how many apple chips you can make at one time.  
2. Bring oven to 225˚F while you prepare the apples.  Line the baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone pads or waxed paper sprayed with a bit of vegetable oil.  
3. Slice apples 1/8” inch or less thick.  A mandolin or slide-slicer will make this easy.  
4. In a wide bowl toss sliced apples with lemon juice, sugar, herbs, salt and pepper.  
5. Lay apple slices on prepared baking sheets as close together as possible without overlapping.
6. Bake 20 minutes, then using a spatula carefully flip apples over.  Continue to bake at 225˚F for a total of 1 1/2- 2 hours, turning every 15-20 minutes until apples begin to brown and are quite dry.  (Apple chips should be crisp, not chewy.)
7. As chips are ready, remove them from the baking sheets and place on a cool baking sheet or board to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.  You may recrisp these apple chips in a low oven, 15 minutes.

Thanksgiving Nibbles

Pre-Thanksgiving dinner nibbles should be the antithesis to the day’s turkey and stuffing.  Some wait time often occurs during the day as the turkey bastes, footballs are tossed and facebook chats are replaced by real life chats.  A little brunch or lunch can ward off hunger but needs to be light, soak up any alcohol that’s flowing and balance the day’s diet.  Also, to keep out of the cook’s hair, the nibbles should be prepped ahead and either served from the refrigerator or easily reheated in a microwave or stovetop so they do not compete with the oven’s activities.

This menu is appropriate any time over the Thanksgiving weekend.  It can be prepared ahead of time and pulled out for serving at short notice.  It serves about 8 people.

Soup—The idea of pumpkin-pear or butternut squash-apple soup always looks good in food magazines but feels a bit heavy as a first course to the main meal.  On the other hand, soup is perfect for the wait.  My version of butternut squash-apple is easy and freezes well. 

Salad-- Not everyone makes room on their Thanksgiving plate for salad so it’s a nice offering ahead of time.  Try a plain mixed green salad or something more unusual like dressed salad ingredients served in an endive or romaine leaf.  Serving salad in a leaf turns it into a finger food that frees up utensils. This salad can also be served in the traditional manner. 

Appetizers—Give dips and crudites an update via grilled or roasted vegetables served on thin baguette slices or skewers. Likewise, a tomato-roasted red pepper bruschetta topping drizzled with olive oil can be prepared in advance.  Skewered fruit is refreshing and easy to handle. My recipe adds a holiday note with a cranberry glaze.  The glaze is amazing plain but the adventurous may want to try the cinnamon or curry variations. 

This vegetarian soup is easy to make because it has only a few ingredients.  This is the easiest from scratch soup you will ever make.     
Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup
1 butternut squash
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 –4 cups vegetable broth (part water is fine)
2 apple, peeled and shredded (or 1 cup plain applesauce, no added suagr)
1-2 tablespoons white wine (optional)
Yogurt or cream for garnish.

Preheat oven to 450˚.  Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise.  Remove seeds with a spoon.  Rub well with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place cut-side down on a rimmed baking pan and roast 30-40 minutes until very tender.  Allow squash to cool a bit before handling.

Scoop out roasted squash into a medium saucepan.  Mash together with shredded apple or applesauce.  Slowly stir in 1 cup vegetable broth and wine if using.  Soup can be pureed at this stage.  If using a blender, be sure soup is cool enough to allow pureeing.   Now add remaining vegetable broth to bring soup to desired consistency. Heat, stirring frequently and taste for seasoning.

Other vegetables that can be added to this soup: cooked parsnips, sweet potato, carrots, ripe peeled pear

Holiday Endive Salad Bites
1 endive, leaves pulled from base (about 15 leaves) or inner leaves from a head of romaine lettuce plus:
1/2 head each of red leaf lettuce, radicchio and romaine
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1/2 cup almonds or roasted pumpkin seeds
1 recipe Creamy Orange Salad Dressing

Shred romaine and radicchio or cut into 1/2 centimeter  slices to  create long thin strands. You are going for a home-made cole slaw consistency (not diced). Toss with dressing.  Add in dried fruit and nuts.  Allow salad to rest a few minutes or up to an hour, chilled.

Scoop a generous tablespoon into each endive leaf.  Arrange on a platter for guests to eat with their hands.

This is a variation on buttermilk dressing that uses a bit of orange juice and honey to compliment the dried fruits in the salad.  For those who like orange creamsicles, this is your dressing.
Creamy Orange Salad Dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon honey
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and toss with salad greens. 

If you have never made your own cranberry sauce, this glaze is a nice foray into the simplicity of cooked cranberries.
Fruit Kabobs with Cranberry-Orange Glaze
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup cranberry juice (or water)
Skewered fruit: apples, firm ripe pears, melon, pineapple, seedless grapes (about 3-4 cups)

Over medium heat in a small saucepan, heat cranberries until they soften and release their pectin (mixture will begin to thicken).  Add marmalade and cranberry juice and cook until well integrated and heated through.  Allow mixture to cool then puree with an immersion blender, small food processor or blender.  You can also pass the glaze through a sieve in a pinch. 
Use the glaze plain or try one of these seasonings:
1) Cinnamon, ginger, white pepper, pinch salt
2) Curry powder
Toss fruit in glaze then skewer and serve.  Note: this can be served as a fruit salad in bowls with the glaze added over individual servings.

Happy Thanksgiving.