Holiday Cranberry Cranachan

Place 1 cup (110 grams) of the cranberries into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse a few times to chop the cranberries roughly; varying-sized pieces are ideal.

Transfer chopped cranberries into a bowl and drizzle with the honey. Stir to evenly coat the cranberries. Cover and set aside.

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine water, the Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar, orange zest, and salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add the remaining whole cranberries to the saucepan. Bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries begin to pop and soften and sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat.

Transfer to a shallow dish or large bowl to cool quickly. Place, uncovered, into the fridge to chill completely; 25 to 30 minutes. 

While the cranberries cool, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place a medium skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add the steel-cut oats to the warm, dry pan. Shake and stir until oats are warm; 1 minute. Sprinkle the Redpath® Dark Brown Sugar, honey, and salt over the surface of the oats. Stir the oats with a heatproof spatula until sugar begins to melt and oats begin to toast; 5 minutes, or until the oat mixture begins to clump together and is a deep golden colour.

Remove from heat and spread oat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in as thin a layer as possible. Let cool completely; about 15 minutes.

Divide cooled oats evenly into 2 bowls, breaking any large clumps into smaller pieces.    

In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (see Chef’s Tips), whip the heavy cream on medium speed until slightly thickened. Sift in the Redpath® Icing Sugar and add the Scotch or whisky. Whip on medium to medium-high until stiff peaks begin to form. The whisk attachment will leave distinct trails in the thickened cream, and when the whisk is lifted, the peaks should hold; do not over-whip.

Remove 1 cup of the whipped cream into a small bowl and place it in the fridge.  

Quickly fold cooled oats from one of the bowls into the remaining 3 cups of whipped cream.

Fold the chopped cranberry mixture into the chilled cranberry sauce until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Have 6 glasses ready. Place about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the whipped cream mixture into the bottom of each glass. Place about 2 tablespoons of the cranberry mixture over the whipped cream. Sprinkle about a tablespoon or so of the oat mixture over the cranberry layer. Repeat process until glasses are filled.

Divide the plain whipped cream among the 6 servings and top with a drizzle of the cranberry sauce and a sprinkle of the toasted oats. Garnish with a few whole cranberries, a drizzle of honey, and/or orange zest, if desired.

Serve immediately.

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