When the fresh cranberries first hit the shelves I couldn’t resist buying a massive bag at Costco. But besides plans for fresh cranberry-orange relish for the Thanksgiving table, and cranberry orange muffins of course, I didn’t have many more fresh cranberry recipes up my sleeve... and yet there were still pounds of cranberries in the fridge. 

Enter this delightful cranberry crunch.  

A “crunch” is a crisp, but with streusel on the top and bottom. The bottom layer is packed in, so when served warm it adds an extra soft and gooey layer, but when cool, turns into more of a soft bar. 

The top streusel is sprinkled on and bakes up into a buttery crunch.  

And piles of fresh cranberries are sandwiched in between. With a dusting of sugar, they bake and bubble and collapse into just-sweet-enough jammy tart cranberry goodness. 

Cranberry crunch

Ingredients:  

• 1 cup oats

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 8 tablespoons (4 oz) cold butter

• 3 cups fresh cranberries

• 1/2 cup white sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan. In a mixing bowl, whisk together oats, brown sugar, flour and salt. Cut in butter until combined(so that nearly all the dry ingredients are incorporated and they hold together in smaller clumps).

2. Spread half of the oat mixture into the bottom of prepared pan, pressing firmly to pack it in. Add cranberries in an even layer on top. Sprinkle with white sugar. Top with remainder of the oat mixture.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until the cranberries are soft and bubbling, and the top layer is a deep golden and firm to the touch. Enjoy!

Adapted from Joy of Cooking.