fancy gluten-free cranberry cake

We made a gluten-free version of this clafoutis recipe, and while our first version didn't turn out the way the pictures online look, it tasted great, was easy to make and we had all the ingredients on hand. It's an easy, and impressive, dessert to throw together for guests. For Thanksgiving, I would start to make it after dinner is over, so that by the time the 90 minutes to make it has passed you and your guests will be hungry again and it can be served warm.

3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks
1 cup turbinado sugar
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup gluten-free flour (we used Cup for Cup)
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier/orange-flavored brandy (we used triple sec)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, halved
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Combine the eggs, egg yolks, 1/2 cup turbinado sugar, the half-and-half, gluten free flour, orange brandy, vanilla and salt in a blender. Pulse until the sugar has dissolved and the batter is smooth, about 1 minute. Let sit at room temperature, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Butter the bottom and side of an 11-inch ceramic tart pan or pie plate and set on a baking sheet. Toss the cranberries with 5 tablespoons turbinado sugar in a small bowl; spread in the bottom of the prepared tart pan. Bake until the mixture starts to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F.

As soon as the batter is done resting and while the cranberries are still warm, carefully pour 1 cup of the prepared batter into the hot pan and let sit 5 minutes, then pour in the remaining batter. Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar on top. Bake until puffed and almost set, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 20 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Food Network

forget about it cranberry sauce

This was the new hit of Thanksgiving 2015. While it's based on a basic recipe, I made changes on the fly based on what we had in the house as well as the fact that I let boil way longer than originally intended because I forgot about it while I was cooking other things. We ended up with our own jellied cranberry sauce.

1 bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
1 tangerine

Empty a 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries into a saucepan and leave aside 1/2 cup of the cranberries.

Add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup of water, and zest from half the tangerine. Squeeze the juice from the tangerine into the saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries burst, about 20 minutes. Continue cooking until the liquid is completely reduced, another 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the reserved cranberries. Serve warm or cold.

Adapted from Food Network