Nantucket Cranberry Pie
6-8
servings
Dessert
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
½ c
chopped walnuts
1
(12-oz) bag cranberries, thawed if frozen
1 ⅓ c
sugar, divided
2
eggs
8 tbsp
salted or unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
¼ c
extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 tsp
vanilla extract
1 c
flour
Despite the name, there isn’t any dough-rolling or crust-crimping involved here. Based on a recipe by the late novelist Laurie Colwin from the November 1993 issue of Gourmet, this simple “pie” calls for a one-bowl, hand-stirred batter to be poured over a cake pan full of fresh (or frozen) cranberries and walnuts. As it bakes, the cranberries collapse and turn jammy, mingling with the spongy cake batter to create the perfect balance of tart and sweet, while walnuts supply a pleasant bit of crunch.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and butter a 9- or 10-inch round cake pan. If you like your walnuts toasted and extra crunchy, spread them on a sheet pan and toast them in the oven for 5-8 minutes while it preheats.
- Meanwhile, roughly chop your cranberries in half. They don't have to be perfect-this step just helps them break down in the oven.
- Make the batter: Whisk 1 cup of sugar with the eggs, melted butter, olive oil, salt, and vanilla extract until smooth and light yellow. Add the flour and gently whisk to combine. The batter will be smooth and quite thick.
- Pour the cranberries, walnuts, and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar into the buttered cake pan and stir gently to distribute the ingredients. Spread the batter over the top and bake for 45-55 minutes, until golden brown and firm in the center. Cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream, or crème fraîche.
A.A. Newton
A.A. Newton is a Philadelphia-based writer, photographer, and recipe developer.