Cranberry Sauce

Today was a great Christmas shopping day for me. It was windy and cold here, but I was cozy and warm shopping on the couch. I do love cyber Monday. Not only is it time to get the shopping done with Christmas only weeks away, it’s also time to begin planning the food for the next round of feasting. I barely have all the Thanksgiving leftovers emptied out of the refrigerator, and I’m hurrying on to the next holiday.

Even with all the hurry, I always enjoy preparing a holiday meal. Putting the Thanksgiving meal together was more fun this year because my son Daniel was here to help me with the cooking. He helped out by making Spinach Maria and a Sweet Potato/Carrot slow cooker dish. He also convinced me that we should try making our own cranberry sauce this year. I usually make a blueberry salad the family likes in lieu of cranberry sauce, but I decided to give homemade cranberry sauce a whirl.

The recipe we used was super simple and quick to make, plus it was very tasty. We made it ahead to allow it time to refrigerate in the mold overnight. I love any dish that can be prepared ahead. The original recipe came from Alton Brown.

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Cranberry Sauce

1 pound fresh cranberries (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup 100% cranberry juice (not cranberry juice cocktail)
1 cup honey

Prepare a 3-cup mold with cooking spray. Wash and sort the cranberries, discarding any that are soft. Set aside to drain in a colander. In a medium saucepan, combine orange juice, cranberry juice, and honey. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens. Do not cook for more than 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into prepared mold. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Invert the mold onto a serving dish to remove the cranberry sauce. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired. Slice and serve.