Nantucket Cranberry Pie
Nantucket Cranberry Pie is not a pie. It is a cake. How it came to be called Nantucket Cranberry Pie is something of a mystery: the recipe comes from Laurie Colwin’s More Home Cooking. There she describes the cake as coming from her friend Ann Gold, who inherited the recipe from her mother. Further attempts to locate the recipe’s origin were unsuccessful, so, Colwin, concluded:
It is a Gold family staple, and the buck stops there.
Bake Nantucket Cranberry Pie, and you will be disinclined to argue. The cake is easy to assemble and requires little time or equipment. If you have measuring cups and something in the way of a nine-inch pan, Nantucket Cranberry Pie may become your new best friend in the holiday dessert department.
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Into the kitchen.
Colwin didn’t have a food processor, and calls for chopping the cranberries. I dutifully followed her lead, cursing as berries flew around the kitchen. Did it once occur to me to use the food processor? No. Do not be me.
Nantucket Cranberry Pie calls for walnuts. If nuts are off the menu, simply increase the amount of cranberries or substitute peeled, diced apples or pears.
If you do use walnuts, be sure to remove the membrane separating the halves. You might also toast the nuts, for extra depth of flavor. I did not, but would be remiss if I didn’t tell you other people do.
Colwin uses almond extract in her recipe. I used Amaretto. Vanilla extract would also work.
The Amaretto photos were not fabulous.
Returning to the baking pan. Colwin says nothing about preparing it for baking. I lined mine with baking parchment, then buttered the parchment. Then, because my springform isn’t perfectly tight, I parked it on a baking sheet.
Nobody would ever accuse me of being coordinated. Or neat. But the cake did not stick to the springform. It did crack, but nobody noticed except me. We can all agree there are better things to worry about right now.
Bake your Nantucket Cranberry Pie, which is really a cake, for 40-45 minutes; a tester should come out clean. The cake’s top will appear dry, as in the above photo.
Colwin writes that Nantucket Cranberry Pie may be served with creme fraiche, ice cream, or whipped cream, but needs none of these adornments. I concur.
Nantucket Cranberry Pie
Recipe is lightly adapted from Laurie Colwin’s More Home Cooking
yield: 1 9-inch/24-cm cake
Prep time: About 1 hour; 45 minutes of that time is baking.
For the cake base:
12-16 ounces/340-450 grams cranberries
4 ounces/115 grams walnuts
4 ounces/115 grams sugar
For the topping:
6 ounces/170 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C
Nantucket Cranberry Pie may be baked in a variety of pans. You can use a 10-inch/25-cm pie pan, a 10 inch/25-cm springform pan, or a 9-inch/24 cm springform. I used a 9-inch springform.
If you use a springform, put it on a baking sheet to avoid leaks.
Line the bottom of the springform with baking parchment. Butter the parchment.
We’re going to do one part of the prep out of order. Skip down to the topping for a moment, and melt the butter now, so it’s cooled down when it’s time to use it. I melt butter by placing it in the microwave. If you prefer the stove, go for it.
Okay, back to making the cake base.
Rinse and pick through the cranberries. Chop them using a food processor. You don’t need to puree them. A rough chop is fine. You can do this with a knife, but be careful, lest berries fly around your kitchen.
Roughly chop the walnuts, too, making sure any membranes are removed. If you are so inclined, lightly toast the nuts.
Place the berries, nuts, and 1/2 cup of sugar at the bottom of the baking pan.
I make the cake topping in a large Pyrex measuring cup, but use a bowl if you prefer.
Mix the melted butter, eggs, sugar, flour, and extract until blended. Pour over the cranberry/walnut mixture.
Put cake in oven and bake 40-45 minutes. Cake is done when tester comes out clean and top looks shiny and dry.
Nantucket Cranberry Pie keeps at room temperature, either a cake keeper or airtight tin, up to five days. After that, refrigerate it. It reheats well in a low oven. I do not recomment freezing.
Notes:
Nantucket Cranberry Pie may be baked without nuts. Increase the cranberries or add peeled pears or apples. You may also use vanilla extract instead of almond.
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