cranberries to your holiday table that involve more than a can opener and a jar of cranberry sauce. Cranberry Glazed Meatballs are a perfect party appetizer; Cornish Hens with Cranberry Rice Pilaf are a great substitute for turkey at a small gathering (fi nd this recipe and more in the OKL digital edition at www.ok-living.coop); and Cranberry Blondies are an ideal way to close any holiday meal.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and egg. Add the cubed bread and mix well. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, or until the bread is mushy. In a skillet over low heat, sauté the onion and garlic in ½ tablespoon of the oil. Cook until tender—about 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the refrigerator and add the sautéed onions and garlic. Mix in the ground turkey, herbs, salt and pepper. Form the meat into 1-inch balls and chill for 2 hours (this will help the meatballs to stay round when cooking). In the meantime, prepare the cranberry sauce. Com- bine all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the temperature to low and sim- mer for 15 minutes. Place a sieve over a bowl, pour the sauce into the sieve and use a spoon to push the liquids through; discard the skins and seeds. After the meatballs have chilled, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides. Once all of the meatballs are browned, add the cranberry sauce to the skillet. Simmer until the meatballs are cooked through—about 5 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, add water.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the fl our, baking powder and salt. Stir together the wet and dry ingredients, the orange zest, cranberries and white chips. Pour the batter into a greased 9-by-13- inch baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. While the blondies are bak- ing, prepare the frosting. With an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar and melted white chocolate. Once the blondies have cooled, spread the frosting over them and sprinkle the dried cranberries on top. For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and orange juice in a small bowl and mix well. Transfer the glaze to a plastic bag and snip a small hole in the corner. Drizzle the icing over the blondies. Cut into bars; refrigerate until serving.
If viewing our digital edition, click here to see delicious bonus recipes for festive Cornish Hens and Cranberry-Brie Bites. Access our digital edition at www.ok-living.coop or fi nd our FREE app at the Apple Newsstand, Google Play or Amazon.