Holiday Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce

by Millie Bentley

Greetings. Here’s a recipe to go with your Christmas dinner. Cooking the holiday feasts is a time-consuming job, but one that we do with a happy heart because we know that our family and friends will appreciate it. This is an easy and delicious recipe for cranberry sauce. I know one can purchase these things ready-made from the store, but homemade is best.

Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce

½ orange

2 cups water

1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith

3 cups fresh cranberries

1 ¼ cups sugar or Splenda

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

Squeeze the juice from the orange and set the juice aside. Remove and discard the membrane from inside the orange rind and dice the rind into very small pieces. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the rind and the water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.

Peel, core and quarter the apple. Cut into ½-inch dice and place in a saucepan. Sort the cranberries, discarding any soft ones, loose leaves or stems; add to the apples along with the orange juice, orange rind, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pan. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens, the apple is tender and the cranberries have burst.

Transfer the cranberry sauce to a heatproof bowl and let cool for 1 hour before serving or cover and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 3 ½ to 4 cups.

Merry Christmas, dear Reader. Until next time, vaya con Dios.