Cabernet Cranberry Sauce

Making fresh cranberry sauce is not only easy, but it's fun! The sound of those fresh berries "popping" under the simmering liquid is quite mesmerizing. It sure beats the sound of a can opener. The salt and cayenne may seem like odd ingredients, but just a dash of each will really brighten the flavors of this great fresh cranberry sauce.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Cabernet wine (almost any red wine will work)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cayenne
• 1/4 cup cold water

Preparation:

1. Add the sugar to a sauce pan. Pour in the orange juice, wine, zest, cinnamon stick and spices. Bring that up to a simmer on medium heat. When it's simmering, add the cranberries. Bring back up to a simmer, and the berries will start to "pop." Simmer for about 10-12 minutes. The sauce will start to thicken and the berries will have all popped and collapsed.
   
   
2. Add a 1/4 cup of cold water and turn off the heat. Don't worry if a couple berries didn't pop, as they will break down as the sauce is cooled and stirred. Take out the cinnamon stick. As the sauce cools it will get very thick. Cool to room temperature, stir, and refrigerate until needed. This will keep for several weeks.

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