Fan of the classics? There are many opportunities to catch A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker this season.
• A Christmas Carol with Gerald Dickens, a one-man show featuring the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens and billed as Dickens’ farewell tour of the U.S., will be performed on Friday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St. in Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com.
• A Christmas Carolwill run Friday, Nov. 28, through Sunday, Dec. 28, at the Palace Theatre,80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org, with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. plus Thursdays, Dec. 4-18, at 7:30 p.m.
• Methuen Ballet Ensemble’s The Nutcracker will be on stage at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College, Manchester, on Saturday, Nov. 29, at noon and 4 p.m., according to tickets.anselm.edu.
• The Nutcracker will be presented by Safe Haven Ballet on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 4:30 p.m., at Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia, coloniallaconia.com. See safehavenballet.org for more on the ballet company.
• Stranger Than Fiction improv comedy troupe will present What the Dickens, “an improvised Christmas Carol,” on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 6:30 p.m. at Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St. in Concord, according to kimballjenkins.com, where you can purchase tickets for this recommended-for-adults-only event.
• A Christmas Carol will be presented by the Pinkerton Players at Stockbridge Theatre, 5 Pinkerton St. in Derry, stockbridgetheatre.showare.com, on Friday, Dec. 5, and Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m.
• A Christmas Carolwill be presented at The Players’ Ring, 105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth, playersring.org, Friday, Dec. 5, through Sunday, Dec. 28, with shows Thursdays through Sundays, as well as Monday, Dec. 22, and Tuesday, Dec. 23.
• The Nutcracker will be presented by Safe Haven Ballet on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts, Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord, ccanh.com.
• The Nutcracker will be presented by the Bedford Dance Center at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College, Manchester, on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m., according to tickets.anselm.edu.
• A Christmas Carol: The Musical Ghost Story presented by Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative of Laconia, powerhousenh.org, Thursday, Dec. 11, through Sunday, Dec. 14, at Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia.
• The Nutcracker: Act II will be presented by St. Paul’s School Ballet Company in Memorial Hall at St. Paul’s School in Concord, sps.edu, on Friday, Dec. 12, and Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 14, at 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and slated to last about an hour, according to an email from the school’s Arts Department. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime, teh email said. Guests are invited to bring toy donations (not to exceed $25 in value), the email said.
• A Christmas Carol will be presented by the Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St. in Rochester, rochesteroperahouse.com, Friday, Dec. 12, through Tuesday, Dec. 23.
• Turning Pointe Center of Dance’s The Nutcrackerwill be on stage at the Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St. in Concord, on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2 p.m., according to theaudi.org/events.
• The Nutcracker will be presented by Safe Haven Ballet on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 4:30 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts, 201 Main St. in Nashua, nashuacenterforthearts.com.
• Fezziwig’s After Dark is described as “an evening of debauchery and mayhem at [the Fezziwigs] first annual adults only (21+) Christmas revel! Arrive at 6:30 for the pre-show hour to meet your hosts and take a selfie, grab a beverage, and socialize with your fellow guests. At 7:30 the Fezziwigs will introduce the Circuit Breakers for an improv performance, followed by an ugly Christmas sweater contest (wear one or bring it!) and then the main event of the evening, a 45-minute Christmas Carol parody cabaret performed by members of [Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative’s] A Christmas Carol cast,” according to the powerhousenh.org. The show is Saturday, Dec. 13, at Colonial Theatre, 609 Main St., Laconia, coloniallaconia.com.
• Southern New Hampshire Dance Theatre will present excerpts of The Nutcracker atThe Nutcracker Ballet Tea Party on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m. at LaBelle Winery in Derry and Sunday, Dec. 14, at 10 a.m. at LaBelle Winery in Amherst, according to labellewinery.com.
• Dance Visions Network will present The Nutcracker Suite on Sunday, Dec. 14, at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, at 12:30 and 5:30 p.m., according to a press release. See tickets.anselm.edu for tickets.
• What The Dickens, described as “improvised comedy, festive mayhem, and heartwarming surprises as Stranger Than Fiction reimagines Dickens’ timeless tale in ways Charles could never have imagined,” will be on stage at The Players’ Ring, 105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth, playersring.org, on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m., according to the website.
• The Nutcracker 2025 will be presented by Ballet Misha at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College, Manchester, on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 1 and 6 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 21, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to tickets.anselm.edu.
• The Nutcrackerwill be presented by the Safe Haven Ballet on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. Tickets are at pinkertonacademy.org/stockbridge-theatre.
• The NH School of Ballet will present The Nutcracker on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St. in Concord, according to theaudi.org/events.
The Winter Stroll is one of the biggest events of the year for Nashua.
“Actually, it’s the biggest,” said Alyssa O’Mara, executive director of Great American Downtown Nashua, the group responsible for organizing the Stroll. “It’s the biggest event that the city of Nashua hosts.”
The Winter Stroll, when Nashua’s Main Street is closed to traffic and attendees are encouraged to explore the downtown area, is one of the first big celebrations of the holiday season.
This year’s event will begin with a candle-lit procession.
“We’ll start our candle distribution for the actual stroll to the Christmas tree at the Center for the Arts this year, because Santa will be there during the day. We’ll stroll down to Water Street and then turn to go to the new pavilion stage right on the riverfront, where we have a 25-foot tree. After the tree is lit is when all of the other activities and vendors and attractions will open up to the public.”
A goal of this year’s Winter Stroll — the 30th one — is to engage everyone who attends, O’Mara said.
“One of the things that we requested this year is that any businesses that are set up on Main Street, if they’re not a craft-oriented, small retail booth, if they’re just a business, they have all been asked to have some kind of giveaway or children’s activity. Every booth will have something going on. So when people are waiting in lines for things they can be doing activities. Between businesses and sponsor tables and nonprofits and vendors we’ll have 40 to 50 booths in addition to the 20 or so food trucks and food vendors on the street. That’s in addition to the restaurants and stores that will be open.”
A new addition to this year’s festivities, O’Mara said, is a trackless train.
“There will be three train stops on Main Street, starting at the tree lighting stage, the pavilion stage there, and then halfway up Main Street will be a stop and then Center for the Arts for Santa will be a stop. It will just be looping all night long going up and down Main Street and it can fit 27 humans, adults and children, on it. Santa will be at the Center for the Arts all day, and we have the Mounted Police Unit on West Pearl Street this year at Santa’s Stables so people can go visit the horses. On the Center for the Arts side by Santander Bank, we’ll have one of our main attractions, a 40-foot tall, 100-foot long, three-lane snow tubing slide. And then on the opposite end of Main Street, just before the railroad tracks will be an artificial ice skating rink that has 60 pairs of skates that people can borrow for free.”
“And then, we have more than 50 performances happening.”
Nashua Winter Stroll The 30th Annual Nashua Winter Stroll will take place Saturday, Nov. 29, along Main Street in downtown Nashua. Photo opportunities with Santa will start at 2 p.m. outside the Nashua Center for the Arts. A candlelight procession will start at 5:15 p.m. After the ceremonial lighting of a tree, Main Street will be open to foot traffic until 9 p.m. Visit downtownnashua.org/winterholidaystroll.
Here are some additional seasonal shopping events.
Record Store Day Black Friday, a separate event from Record Store day in the spring, highlights Nov. 28 releases; see recordstoreday.com for details.
Great American Downtown holds a Plaid Friday celebration Friday, Nov. 28, starting at 10 a.m. with the Nashua organization’s team setting up at Fortin Gage Flowers and Gifts, 86 W. Pearl St. in Nashua, to hand out Plaid Friday tote bags to the first 100 shoppers, with the bags “filled with goodies and special offers from participating businesses, according to an email from Great American Downtown. “From there, grab a map and explore exclusive deals, seasonal treats, and festive experiences throughout downtown,” the email said. See downtownnashua.org.
The Greater Manchester Chamber celebrates Small Business Saturday on Saturday, Nov. 29, kicking it off at Bookery, 844 Elm St. in Manchester, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. with refreshments, “a handout detailing the day’s deals” and more, according to manchester-chamber.org, where you can see a list of participating businesses and their plans for the day.
The Goffstown Main Street Program will hold Shop Small Saturday on Saturday, Nov. 29, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with craft booths on Main Street, community raffles and more, according to the Goffstown Main Street Program’s Facebook page.
The shops at museums can offer great gifts — that is the idea behind Museum Store Sunday on Sunday, Nov. 30, according to museumstoresunday.org, which lists participating museums including the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, currier.org; the SEE Science Center in Manchester, see-sciencecenter.org; Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, shakers.org; American Independence Museum in Exeter, independencemuseum.org; Portsmouth Historical Society in Portsmouth, portsmouthhistory.org, and more. — Compiled by Amy Diaz
Work up that appetite for pie by checking out road races on Thanksgiving and throughout the season.
Thanksgiving Day races
All of these races take place Thursday, Nov. 27.
• The Rotary Club of Merrimack’s 2025 5K Thanksgiving Road Race begins and ends at the Merrimack Middle School at 8 a.m. with day-of registration from 7 to 7:30 a.m., according to merrimack5k.com.
• The Bow Athletic Club and Bow Police Department Turkey Trot 5K will start at 8 a.m. at 55 Falcon Way in Bow, according to runsignup.com/Race/NH/Bow/BowAthleticClubTurkeyTrot, where you can register. Same-day registration begins at 6:30 a.m., the website said.
• The Brookline Conservation Commission’s Brookline Turkey Fun Run/Walk will start at 8 a.m. and is a 5K course, according to runsignup.com/Race/NH/Brookline/BrooklineTurkeyFunRunWalk, where you can register. You can also find information on the Commission’s Facebook page.
• The Greater Derry Track Club Turkey Trot, a 5K race, will take place at 9 a.m. at Galliens Town Beach on Beaver Lake, according to gdtc.org/turkeytrot, where you can register. Race-day registration will be available if the race isn’t sold out, the website said.
• The Great Gobbler 5K, which supports Nashua North and South Boys and Girls Cross Country programs, will start at 8 a.m. with a Little Gobbler kids’ fun run at 7:30 a.m., according to greatgobbler.com, where you can register, with race-day registration also available.
• The Dartmouth Health Fisher Cats Thanksgiving 5K takes place at 9 a.m. with a Lil’ Turkey Trot (for ages 8 and under) at 8:30 a.m. The start and finish line is at center field in Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester, according to millenniumrunning.com, where you can register through Nov. 26 with race-day registration on-site from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. available.
• The Windham Turkey Trot, a fundraiser for Shepard’s Pantry in Windham, starts at 9 a.m. with 1-mile, 3-mile and 5-mile options, according to shepherdspantry.net/turkey-trot, which says race-day registration will be available.
Thanksgiving weekend races
• The Amherst Junior Women’s Club will hold its Trot Off Your Turkey 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run at the Amherst Town Green on Friday, Nov. 28, with the fun run at 9 a.m. and the 5K starting at 9:30 a.m., according to trotoffyourturkey.wordpress.com, where you can register through noon on Nov. 26. Race-day registration starts at 8 a.m., the website said.
• Bishop Brady High School in Concord will hold its Galloping Gobbler on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 9 a.m. with a 4-mile course and a 2-mile fun run, according to a post on the Bishop Brady Facebook page, which includes a link to registration information.
Races throughout the holiday season
• The Bedford Ambulatory Surgical Center Santa Claus Shuffle takes place on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m. and is a 3-mile-total, out-and-back race on Elm Street beginning and ending in Veterans Park in downtown Manchester ahead of the Manchester Holiday Parade, according to millenniumrunning.com, where you can register, with the first 1,400 registrants receiving a Santa suit to wear at the event. A Lil’ Elf Run (for ages 8 and under) starts at 2:30 p.m., the website said. Race participants will get samples from Santa’s four major food groups — milk and cookies, chocolate, maple and candy — along the route, the website said.
• The Arthritis Foundation’s annual Jingle Bell Run will take place Sunday, Dec. 7, at 8:30 a.m. at Northeast Delta Dental in Concord with 5K timed and untimed options, according to events.arthritis.org/jbrnewhampshire.
• The Humane Society for Greater Nashua will hold its Ugly Sweater Race, a 21+ 5K,on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 9 a.m. at Backyard Brewery and Kitchen in Manchester, according to hsfn.org/ugly-sweater-race, where you can register.
• Yule Light Up the Night, a 2.1-mile run, will take place on the grounds of the NH Motor Speedway in Loudon, where the annual Gift of Lights light attraction will be on display, on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4:30 p.m. with a Lil’ Reindeer Run at 4 p.m., according to millenniumrunning.com.
• The Apple Therapy & Derry Sports and Rehab Millenium Mile, a 1-mile downhill race starting in front of Londonderry High School in Londonderry, will take place on the first day of 2026 — Thursday, Jan. 1, at 2 p.m., according to millenniumrunning.com.
• The Freeze Your Buns Winter 5K Series in Nashua held by the Gate City Striders starts Sunday, Jan. 4, at 9 a.m., according to gatecity.org, where you can register for individual races or the whole series.
Featured photo: Lucas Gallo & The Guise. Photo by JPMorse Photography, from lucasgallomusic.com
Thanksgiving Eve is a great time to meet “chosen family” members to catch up. Whether it’s called Drinksgiving, or, for the sober and sober-curious, Friendsgiving, it’s the second-busiest night of the year for most bars and restaurants, topped only by New Year’s Eve — take that, St. Patrick’s Day.
Whatever one chooses to name it, the evening offers a chance to fortify with old friends and contemplate a four-day weekend of overeating and familial bonding.
Here are a few options to consider, from concerts to karaoke, song pulls and serenades, with or without adult beverages.
American Legion Post 72 (164 Wolfeboro Highway, Alton, 875-3461) – Ghost Riderz return for a repeat of last year’s popular country rock show.
Auburn Pitts (167 Rockingham Road, Auburn) will host The Dogfathers at 7 p.m.
Auspicious Brew (1 Washington St., Dover, 953-7240) – open mic with Jon-Erik, all-ages event with no cover.
Backyard Brewery (1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-3545) – trivia with Bill Seney is a regular favorite.
Backyard Grill Burgers & Wings (5 Provident Way, Seabrook, 760-2581) – Music Bingo with Jennifer Mitchell.
The Big House (322 Lakeside Ave., Laconia, 767-2226) – Big Stage Karaoke
Bonfire (950 Elm St., Manchester, 663-7678) – DJ Mike Benoit spins tunes at this country-forward bar/restaurant.
BrickHouse Restaurant & Brewery (241 Union Sq., Milford, 672-2270) – Local rockers Vales End play a mix of covers and originals after trivia.
The Brook (319 New Zealand Road, Seabrook, livefreeandplay.com) – For those seeking a big-name show, G. Love and Special Sauce perform at 7 p.m., $65 at uvtix.com.
Buckey’s (240 Governor Wentworth Highway, Moultonborough, 476-5485) – Fuzzbox plays rock covers and originals starting at 6:30 p.m.
Casey Magee’s Irish Pub (8 Temple St., Nashua, 484-7400) – Thanksgiving Eve Dance Party starting at 9 p.m. hosted by DJ Bobby Lane.
Chapel + Main (83 Main St., Dover, 842-5170) – Local treasure Dan Blakeslee performs with his band the Calabash Club.
Copper Door Bedford (15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677) – Live music for Thanksgiving Eve from a solo performer.
Copper Door Salem (41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033) – Clint Lapointe sings and plays favorites.
CR’s (287 Exeter Road, Hampton, 929-7972) – Steve Sibulkin sings soulful songs for the dinner crowd.
Daniel Street (111 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 430-1011) – Karaoke night, a great way to get things flowing.
Defiant Records & Craft Beer (609 Main St., Laconia, 839-8310) – Open Mic Comedy & Thanksgiving Pre-Game w/ Mike Loughlin at this eclectic Lakes Region spot.
Derryfield (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880) – D-Comp, the acoustic rock duo of ManchVegas Rock Star winner Demetri Papanicolau and guitarist Nate Comp, plays decades-spanning hits.
Epoch Restaurant & Bar (2 Pine St., Exeter, 778-EPOCH) – Friendsgiving Happy Hour from 4 to 6 p.m.
Feathered Friend Brewing (231 S. Main St., Concord, 224-9534) – Sophie’s Sip & Solve Trivia.
Fody’sNashua (9 Clinton St., Nashua, 577-9015) – Joe MacDonald 5 p.m., Dotted Lines 8 p.m.
Fody’s Derry (187 1/2 Rockingham Road, Derry, 404-6946) – The weekly World Tavern Trivia happens.
Forum Pub (15 Village St., Concord, 552-0137) – Songs from Michael Harmon, a veteran musician whose credits include Grain Thief and Jake McKelvie & the Countertops.
Garrison City Beerworks 455 Central Ave., Dover, 343-4231) “Balls roll at 6 p.m.” for Thanksgiving Eve bingo, according to the brewery’s Instagram.
Getaway Lounge (157 Franklin St., Manchester, 627-0661) – Wacko Magnet Thanksgiving Eve Bash.
The Goat (50 Old Granite St., Manchester, 603-4628) – Catch Turn It Up at 9 p.m.
Great North Aleworks (1050 Holt Ave. Unit 14, Manchester, 858-5789) – Brewed and Acoustic open mic pre-Thanksgiving Edition.
Greenside Restaurant at Lochmere CC (360 Laconia Road, Tilton, 528-7888) – Fundraiser for Children’s Auction, with Holycow Entertainment leading a Disco Ball Night.
Harpoon Brewery (215 Canal St., Manchester, 945-3797) – Supernothing provides the music, with food and drink deals, swag giveaways, and a shot at winning $100 by finding the Golden Ticket. $10 off Tender Towers, $5 off pitchers.
Hermit Woods Winery (72 Main St., Meredith) – Songwriter RoundUp to benefit Meredith Food Pantry. Katie Dobbins, Mike Morris and Dane Anderson. Bring a canned food item to enter a drawing for two 2026 Songwriter RoundUp tickets.
Hermanos (11 Hills Ave., Concord 224-5669) – Singer and multi-instrumentalist Brian Booth plays popular music from the ’60s through today.
Holy Grail (64 Main St., Epping, 679-9559) – Music with Wolf & Honey, classic and popular songs.
Homestead (641 DW Highway, Merrimack, 429-2022) – Chris Torrey plays rock covers.
Howlin’ Wolf Taqueria (40 Pleasant St., Portsmouth, 956-4566) – Pack Night: Friendsgiving Edition with free taco bar starting at 9 p.m. and Gran Centenario tequila tastings along with swag.
Kettlehead Brewing (97 Main St., Nashua, 204-5718) – Trivia with Best Trivia Ever.
Kettlehead Brewing (407 W. Main St., Tilton, 286-8100) – Trivia with Best Trivia Ever.
The Local (2 E. Main St., Warner, 456-6066) – Singer-songwriter Ian Archibold performs. His John Mayer-esque song “Record Tapes,” released last summer, is a sweet listen.
Lynn’s 102 Tavern (76 Derry Road, Hudson, 943-7832) – The Get Down play rock covers after trivia.
Magrilla’s (19 Hanson Road, Rochester, 330-1964) – Karaoke night for extroverts in the extended family.
Martha’s Exchange (185 Main St., Nashua, 883-8781) – DJ Viva spins tracks from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at this 21+ event.
The Nest (181 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 974-1686) – Bite the Bullet plays rock covers.
Overboard Pub & Grill (186 Ocean Blvd., Seabrook, 760-2608) – Music with Radioactive, homemade lasagna, prizes and holiday drink specials.
Par28 (23 South Broadway, Salem, 458-7078) – Houston Bernard plays country rock.
Patrick’s (18 Weirs Road, Gilford, 293-0841) – Team Trivia for the kids, donate $5 and enter the raffle to benefit Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction.
Pembroke City Limits (134 Main St., Pembroke, 210-2409) – RGB Trio plays with special guests.
Penuche’s Ale House (6 Pleasant St., Concord, 228-9833) – Lucas Gallo & The Guise.
Press Room (77 Daniel St., Portsmouth, 431-5186) – Funksgiving: Harsh Aramadillo w/ Frenzie at The Press Room.
Revo Casino Dover (887 B Central Ave., Dover, 742-9632) – Musical duo Husky & Starch performs classic, easy-listening hits.
Thirsty Moose (21 Congress St., Portsmouth, 427-8645) – Jump the Line w/ DJ Chad Banks upstairs.
To Share Brewing (720 Union St., Manchester, 588-1800) – Free Beer Pong (no beer required), Hand Turkey Craft Table, Gratitude Wall, Seasonal Mocktail: The Reunion Fizz and Special Barrel Project Release. Catch up, craft a masterpiece, and toast to the good old days.
Tomahawk Butchery & Tavern (454 DW Highway, Merrimack, 365-4960) – Chad LaMarsh solo from 6 to 9 p.m.
Town House (1 Grove St., Peterborough, monadnockfolk.org) – Annual Thanksgiving Eve Contra Dance, Steve Zakon-Anderson calling with Northwoods, Molly Tucker, fiddle, Casey Murray, cello and guitar, Sam Zakon-Anderson, piano.
Uno Pizzeria & Grill (15 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, 226-8667) – Chris Lester.
Wing-Itz (603 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 436-9464) – Seacoast “wing butchery” has a Friendsgiving party hosted by Vicky & Cammy.
Ya Mas Greek Taverna & Bar (Mall at Rockingham Park., Salem, 635-4230) – A night of food, music and dance as Elena Mpasi performs a special concert, tickets $10 with $20 VIP front-row seats available.
Zorvino Vineyards (226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463) – Pajama party with themed wine flights and drinks, food and trivia.
Featured Photo: Lucas Gallo & The Guise. Photo by JPMorse Photography, from lucasgallomusic.com
From Thanksgiving eve to New Year’s Day, Hippo’s annual Holiday Guide offers you a look at the celebrations, community gatherings and more taking place over the next few weeks. Is there some holiday cheer we missed? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com. Now get out your calendar and plan a season of fun.
For many of us, the question “cranberry sauce — whole berry, jellied from a can, or not at all?” is as much thought we invest in cranberries. But if you are looking for a seasonally festive way of using them other than on a Thanksgiving plate, here are some thoughts.
Cranberries in NH
While there are no commercial cranberry bogs in New Hampshire, cranberries do grow in the wild here.
Christine Gagnon is the owner and operator of the Uncanoonuc Foraging Co. (uncforaging.com). She finds wild foods for a living. Once she became aware of wild cranberries and knew what to look for, she says, she suddenly started finding them everywhere, especially low to the ground in marshy areas.
“A friend of mine and I were out duck hunting a couple weeks ago,” she gave as an example. “We were looking for ducks, not cranberries, but it so happens that one of the spots is where we were duck hunting and it was full of cranberries, which was nice. So we collected a bunch. I was really surprised to see that [the cranberry plants] were so small; I imagined it would be something like a bush or a shrub. The plants like growing low to the ground, even lower than blueberries. Someone had said to me, ‘Oh, you should leave them and collect them in the spring after they’ve overwintered.’ I guess there’s a process when they freeze that bursts the cells and releases the sugars and makes them sweeter. But I think all the animals would take them before that happened.”
Baking with cranberries
Because of their tartness and color, cranberries are a natural for baking. Trina Bird, head baker at Lighthouse Local in Bedford (lighthouse-local.com), is a fan.
“Cranberries are perfect for sweet bakery items,” she said. “They are amazing paired with orange and used in scones, muffins and quick breads. [Cranberry] lends itself to a sweet glaze courtesy of its tartness, so we use it for a cranberry glazed doughnut every year, and we sugar them as toppings.They work well fresh or frozen; they are very adaptable.”
Cranberry-Orange Muffins
As Chef Bird said, cranberry and orange are a classic combination. Both are slightly acidic, and orange brings sweetness to the party, which is balanced by the tartness of the cranberries.
Cranberry-Orange Muffins. Photo by John Fladd.
1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
Zest from one large orange
2 eggs
½ cup (120 g) full-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ cup (60 g) orange juice – You’ve just zested a perfectly good orange. Cut it in half, jam your fingers into it, and confront your anger issues.
1 cup (99 g) fresh or frozen cranberries – If you’re using frozen, don’t thaw them. They’ll get mushy. If you use them frozen, the muffin batter will lock them in place.
1 cup (115 g) sweetened, dried cranberries
sanding sugar to top
Preheat your oven to 475°F.
Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. This might be one big muffin tin or two smaller ones.
In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
With your stand or hand mixer, beat the butter until it’s fluffy, then add the sugars and beat again. Lower the speed and mix in the eggs, one at a time, then the orange zest, then the vanilla and orange juice, then the sour cream. When it’s all combined, add the flour mixture, a large spoonful at a time (this is to prevent it from poofing up in your face). Mix until the batter just barely comes together, then stir in both types of cranberries by hand. Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cups. Dust the tops with sanding sugar.
Quickly, because the sour cream and orange juice are acidic and are going to start interacting with the baking soda right away, move the muffin tin(s) to the middle rack of your oven, and bake for five minutes. Then, not opening the oven door, crash the oven temperature down to 350°F and bake for another 16 minutes or so. Remove them from the oven when a toothpick comes out clean.
There’s a question a lot of us have asked ourselves from time to time: What is the difference between a cupcake and a muffin? In technical terms, a cupcake is supposed to have a light, delicate texture, just like a cake. This is what bakers call a “fine crumb.” Muffins, on the other hand, are denser. In practical terms, they are both equally good with ice cream. These are very orangey, very cranberry-y muffins. The fresh cranberries give a pop of tart fruitiness, and the dried ones give a sweeter, chewier experience. The sanding sugar on top gives a really satisfying crunch.
Cranberry Cookies
Cranberry and orange are such a classic flavor combination that it often becomes a default base for baked goods. The truth is that cranberries go well with a host of other flavors — in this case, cornmeal, fresh mint, and almonds in the form of amaretto.
Cranberry cookies. Photo by John Fladd.
¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (120 g) yellow cornmeal
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon (4 to 5 g) finely chopped fresh mint leaves
In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
With a hand mixer or in a stand mixer, beat the butter until it is fluffy. Add the sugar and beat it again. You will probably have to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber or silicone spatula.
One at a time, mix in the mint, then the egg, then the amaretto. Add the flour mixture to the dough, a large spoonful at a time, to avoid getting poofed with it. Everything should mix together pretty well, but some cornmeal might remain at the bottom of the bowl, much like the sensible member of a group of friends who has doubts about the group’s plans. Finishing the batter by hand will resolve those doubts. Stir in the dried cranberries.
Roll tablespoonfuls of the cookie dough into balls, then roll them in sanding sugar. Place six balls on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, then flatten them to half their height with the bottom of a drinking glass.
Bake for eight to 10 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. Because they have less wheat flour than usual, there isn’t a lot of gluten to hold them together, so letting them sit will let them set up. Even so, it’s probably a good idea to remove them with a spatula, after which they will be able to stand proud and look the world in the eye like any other cookies.
In a mundane and predictable world, these cookies provide a pleasant surprise. The cornmeal gives them texture. The flavors of the mint and amaretto come seemingly out of nowhere, giving them a mouth-watering quality, and the coarse salt gives little pops of flavor each time you bite down on a grain of it. These are highly recommended and will buy you street cred at this year’s cookie swap.
Cranberry Bakewell Tart
The bakewell tart is a cornerstone of British baking. By tradition it consists of a buttery tart shell, a layer of raspberry jam, and a top layer of frangipane — a creamy filling made from ground almonds. It is usually frosted with a coat of royal icing.
This take on the bakewell substitutes homemade cranberry jam for the raspberry layer, omits the royal icing to keep it from being too sweet, and reduces any fussiness by making it in a springform pan.
Cranberry Bakewell Tart. Photo by John Fladd.
Crust
1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup (57 g) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 Tablespoon water
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar and salt together. Add the melted butter and water, and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.
Press the dough into the bottom of a lined 9-inch springform pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. Set it aside to take a breather while you work on the jam and frangipane.
Cranberry Jam
3 cups (283 g) frozen whole cranberries – this will work with unfrozen whole berries, but the freezing process pokes holes in the cell walls of the cranberries, something called “bletting,” which helps break them down
1 cup (198 g) sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Combine all three ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, until the juice is released from the berries and starts to boil. Mash the berries with a potato masher, then boil for another 10 minutes. Cranberries contain a lot of something called pectin, a natural fiber that helps jams and jellies set. Boiling this syrupy mixture will activate the pectin and reduce the amount of water. You will raise an eyebrow at how jammy this jam gets.
Frangipane
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, melted
1 cup (198 g) sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (145 g) almond flour
1/4 cup (5 g) sliced almonds
Beat the sugar together with the melted butter. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla, and finally the almond flour and sliced almonds.
Layer the cooled jam on top of the crust you baked in the springform pan, then layer the frangipane on top of the jam.
Bake for 40 minutes at 350°F.
Let the tart cool in the springform pan. When you’re ready to depan it, run a sharp knife under hot water and then around the inside of the pan. Dust the top with powdered sugar.
The sweetness and the slight fruitiness of the almonds is offset by the slightly musky tartness of the cranberry jam. (Which, not for nothin’, is excellent to make on its own for various jam purposes.)
Cranberries and cheese
“The thing about cranberries,” said Emma Round, owner of Unwined Wine Bar in Milford (unwinednh.com), “is they’re tart. The three main words I would use to describe them are tart, tannic and astringent. The reason that so many people put cranberries and cheese together is that astringency and that kind of tartness — it cuts the flavor of the cheese’s creamy, fatty goodness that can weigh you down. They just make those fats so much easier to digest — depending on which cheeses you pair the cranberry with. I’m not a cheesemonger, but I’ve eaten my fair share of cheese.”
Baked Brie with Pickled Cranberries
1½ cups (340 g) apple cider vinegar
¾ cup (170 g) water
1½ cups (300 g) sugar
Baked Brie with Pickled Cranberries. Photo by John Fladd.
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
¼ cup (4 Tablespoons) honey
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced thin
Peel of a large orange – use a sharp vegetable peeler to take off the thin, orange part of the peel, but not the bitter white pith under it
Mix all ingredients but the cranberries and the brie together in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, and boil for a further 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, and leave the ingredients to steep until the mixture cools. Strain the mixture, rinse out the pan, then return the liquid to the pan, with the dried cranberries. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a vigorous boil, then turn off the heat, and leave everything to sit for a couple of hours. During this time the cranberries will soak up most, but not all, of the liquid. Store the pickled cranberries in your refrigerator for up to two weeks, until you’re ready to use them.
Remove the brie from your refrigerator, unwrap it, and score the rind in a diamond pattern. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer it to a serving plate or platter, or cheese board, and serve with slices of fresh fruit and a super-generous amount of the pickled cranberries.
The sweet, acidity of the pickled cranberries will contrast deliciously with the rich, slightly musky butteriness of the brie.
Savory cranberry applications
Because cranberries pair so well with herbs, nuts and grains, they are an excellent addition to savory dishes. While not native to the Middle East, for instance, dried cranberries can bring notes of raisins and pomegranates to Middle Eastern dishes.
Persian-style cranberry rice pilaf
2 cups (430 g) white or basmati rice
4 cups (900 g) water
1 teaspoon salt
1 small onion (approximately 115 g), sliced super-thin
3 Tablespoons ghee — This is an Indian clarified butter. Do not use regular butter, which will scorch. Coconut oil would be a good substitute, though; it has a high smoke-point (That means it won’t burn easily) and brings flavor to the proceedings.
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1½ teaspoons ground sumac — this is a Middle Eastern spice available from a spice market or online. It’s very sour, which will complement the cranberries and balance out some of the sweetness. Dehydrated lemon juice powder is a good substitute, but the sumac will give you a better depth of flavor.
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup (75 g) granulated sugar
1½ cups (200 g), about one 8-ounce package, sweetened dried cranberries
Persian-style Cranberry Rice Pilaf. Photo by John Fladd.
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
A large pinch of saffron soaked in 2 Tablespoons warm water
1/3 cup (50 g) chopped salted roasted pistachios
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a lidded baking or casserole dish, mix the rice, 2 cups of water, and teaspoon of salt. Cover and bake for 50 minutes. This will cook the rice to a very tender texture. If you prefer your rice to have distinct, independent grains, cook it on your stovetop. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the ghee and cook the onions until they are soft and translucent. Add the salt and spices and stir to combine. Let the spices get toasty for a minute or so — your kitchen will start to smell like a Middle Eastern restaurant — then stir in the sugar, cranberries and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cranberries have plumped up and absorbed most of the liquid. There might be a little golden oil left; that’s OK.
Add the vegetable oil, rice and saffron water to a large, lidded pot. Stir to combine. Spoon the cranberry-onion mixture over the top of the rice, and top with the pistachios.
Cover the pot with a thin tea towel and the pot’s lid. This will help seal in the steam you need to finish this dish. Cook over medium-high heat for three minutes to sear the rice, then crash the temperature down to the lowest setting and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it rest for five to 10 minutes.
This pilaf is one of those “Is this supposed to be sweet or savory?” dishes that is extremely appealing. It contrasts sweet and sour and salty and savory in the best possible way.
Anyone who grew up in a culture with rice that has a crispy layer stuck to the bottom of the pot will tell you that the crispy stuff is the best part. When you serve this, make sure you scrape the crispy part from the pan for your family to fight over.
Drinking cranberries
Cranberry Syrup
Cranberry syrup is similar in flavor and sweetness to grenadine, a pomegranate syrup used in cocktails to give color and a sweet/sour fruity taste. The two syrups can be used interchangeably.
Combine equal amounts of unsweetened cranberry juice and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cool and bottle. This should last at least a month in your refrigerator.
Captain Cranberry, a cranberry mocktail
¾ ounce cranberry syrup (see above)
4 ounces ginger beer – not ginger ale; this is ever so much better with the real stuff. I like anything labeled as Jamaican or Caribbean-style ginger beer. Goya makes a good one. It is very much more gingery than the ginger ale you use to settle your stomach on a long flight, and often spicy.
Plain seltzer to taste
In a mixing glass — you can use a glass measuring cup for this — stir the cranberry syrup and ginger beer together over ice. This is a case where you don’t want to shake the drink and risk losing the soda’s carbonation.
Strain over fresh ice in a Collins glass, then mix in seltzer until it is at your preferred level of sweetness and ginger-intensity. Garnish with fresh or frozen whole cranberries, or even pickled cranberries.
This will make a lovely drink to carry around with you at a holiday gathering if you don’t want to get grilled by your cousin’s husband about why you aren’t drinking. It looks and tastes sophisticated enough that you won’t get pegged as a lightweight even if you are.
Captain Cranberry (left) and District Manager (right). Photo by John Fladd.
District Manager
2 ounces cachaca or flavorful rum
1½ ounces grapefruit juice
½ teaspoon dehydrated grapefruit juice powder – optional
¾ ounce cranberry syrup
2 dashes bitters – Angostura or cardamom bitters are good for this. I used some homemade caraway bitters I had on hand and was pleased with the result.
Grapefruit twist to garnish – Use a vegetable peeler to remove a long strip of rind from a fresh grapefruit. You are looking to take just the outer layer and not the white, pithy part underneath. Roll the strip and skewer it with a toothpick.
In a cocktail shaker, add the rum or cachaca, the grapefruit juice, the cranberry syrup and the bitters. If you are using fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and aren’t happy with its intensity, you can add dehydrated grapefruit juice powder to bump up the grapefruitiness without throwing off the drink’s proportions.
Shake thoroughly, until you hear the ice start to break up in the shaker. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
The use of fruit juice and a fruit syrup might give you the impression that this is a frivolous cocktail. This is a serious, grown-up drink that tastes almost whiskey-like. You can easily imagine high-level management elves drinking a few of these at the North Pole in a meeting looking over their quarterly production figures.
