Holiday desserts & cookies

1. Center a rack in oven and heat to 325 degrees. Generously grease bottom, sides, and rim of a 9" pie dish and set aside.

2. Cut 8 tablespoons butter into eight pieces and set aside to soften; melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter. In a food processor, process cookies and 3 tablespoons sugar until finely ground, about 1 minute. Add melted butter and almond extract and pulse until crumbs are clumpy and moistened, 8 to 10 times, scraping bottom as needed. Transfer to prepared pie dish and use a dry measuring cup to press crumbs firmly into bottom and up sides. Transfer to oven and bake until fragrant and set, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely. Rinse bowl of food processor and set aside.

3. Combine cranberries, remaining sugar, the water, lemon zest, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have mostly burst and liquid has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully transfer to food processor and puree until completely smooth, about 1 minute; rinse pan.

4. Pour cranberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into now-clean pan, stirring and pressing mixture through strainer and scraping bottom until only seeds remain (this will take a few minutes as mixture will be quite thick); discard solids. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and yolks until well combined. While whisking, slowly add 1/3 cup cranberry mixture to eggs, then gradually whisk into pan with remaining cranberry mixture.

5. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping bottom and sides of pan with a rubber spatula, until mixture has thickened and reaches 170 degrees, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining 8 tablespoons butter, one piece at a time, until fully incorporated, then whisk in lemon juice.

6. Pour filling into cooled crust and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day before serving.

Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, October - November 2020