Drunken Cranberry Sauce
My family prefers the jelled cranberry sauce that slurps as it's removed from the can. I prefer a homemade whole berry version with more texture and flavors. It reminds me of what my Mom used to make when I was a kid. So, I make this cranberry sauce every Thanksgiving mostly for me and I usually gift a jar of it to someone else. This version with added spirits is for adults only. It keeps for weeks and is best made at least a week prior to when you'd like to use it, so all the flavors have a chance to meld.
Servings 16 people
Cost $7
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz Bag Fresh Whole Cranberries Sorted and Rinsed
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Orange-zested and juiced
- Pinch Nutmeg
- 1/4-1/2 Cup Booze of preference Rum, Spiced Rum, Whiskey or Bourbon
Instructions
- Sort through the cranberries, removing all berries that are past their prime
- Zest and juice the orange and set aside
- Measure the remaining ingredients and set aside
- In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the sugars, spices, orange juice and orange zest
- Add the cranberries to the saucepan with the other ingredients-EXCEPT for the booze. That gets added later
- Stir and bring mixture to a boil
- Continue to stir constantly allowing the sugar to dissolve and the cranberries to burst-this takes about 10 minutes or so. Be careful as the berries pop, the mixture is very hot!
- Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to stir often until the mixture thickens and reduces-this takes about 10-15 minutes
- Measure the amount of booze that you would like to use. It's been a rough year, so I decided a 1/2 cup was in order (LOL!)
- Now stir in the booze and cook for just a minute or two
- Remove from the heat, continue stirring until cooled slightly
- Transfer to a mason jar with a lid or a sealed plastic container-I prefer the mason jar
- Chill for at least 2 hours
- Can also be made 1-2 weeks ahead of time for the flavors to meld
- Serve chilled or at room temperature in a pretty bowl
Notes
**Please remember...this is for adults of legal drinking age only!**
This is a boozy recipe-perhaps a bit strong for some folks. So you can always reduce the amount of added alcohol to suit your tastes. You can even cook the mixture longer to cook off the alcohol if you would like.
This recipe is very versatile. I have used just granulated sugar instead of a combination of white and brown sugar and it's perfectly delicious.The brown sugar adds a more caramelized flavor and a darker color to the finished product. I have used regular and spiced rums-both were perfect in this dish. I also added Cointreau with spiced rum one year and it was amazingly boozy and delicious. Brandy and red wine will also work. Though, I usually have bourbon on hand (it's my husband's favorite). So, it's the one I use most often. You can use whatever booze you like and have on hand.
This drunken cranberry sauce is absolutely delicious as a side dish with the Thanksgiving meal and with all leftover versions of the meal. But, it is also wonderful as an appetizer-served atop a block of cream cheese or goat cheese with crackers. Or as a filling in a cake, or spooned over vanilla or butter pecan ice cream, or whirled into a milkshake for a boozy version. It's also wonderful combined with barbeque sauce or chili sauce when making sweet and sour meatballs or cocktail franks. I've even combined it with butter and spread it on toast, biscuits and scones. It certainly does not go to waste!