[Advent] First say and late already!

[lunadelcorvo]

Dec 1st: Recipe: Old-World Cranberry Sauce

1 Bag fresh organic cranberries (washed)
1/4 cup sugar (turbinado works best!)
1 Tbls fresh-grated orange zest
2 Tbls (abut 1/2 an 'airline' sized bottle' of berry liqueur (Chambord works wonderfully!)
Small pinch cinnamon

Toss the berries in a pot, add cold water to cover. Add all the rest and let is simmer until the berries begin to pop. Stir often, gently 'mushing' some of the berries (leave some whole!) Once its the right consistency, say 1/3 of the berries still whole, pour into a pretty bowl and chill for 2-3 hours. (This also makes the house smell heavenly!)

Dec 2nd: Favorite Holiday Craft

Truthfully, I don't have "a" favorite holiday craft. I do all sorts of things, and what crafty things I do tends to depend on what I need, or the spirit of the moment. I will relink to the info for my Christmas gift boxes (HERE). Otherwise, it really depends. If I have time to do any holiday crafty things this year, I promise to post how-tos, but it won't be until the last of my grading is done!

Comments

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Oddly, fresh cranberries have appeared in the local Aldi for the first time ever to my knowledge and I was going to ask you USians abour recipes.

Do you top and tail the berries before cooking?

Please to explain turbinado- is this a white or a brown sugar and if the latter, what type?

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

Hmm. If by top and tail, you mean slice off top and bottom - no. Then again, our berries come pretty much stem-and-tail-less, so there isn't a need. I'd say if yours have pokey bits you'd as soon not eat, top and tail away! Otherwise just pop them in whole!

Turbinado is also known as raw sugar (one US brand name is "Sugar-in-the-Raw"), or demerara sugar and it's unbleached and unrefined. (Therefore much less chemical-laden). It's a sort of amber color, and comes in a larger grain, maybe the size of uncooked cous-cous. Not only is it healthier, it has a 'richer' flavor than bleached white sugar, and retains some healthful minerals. It's really lovely in tea or coffee!

Do let me know what you think! :D

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

That's demerara sugar here! Thanks.

I think I'll give 'em a go. :o)

[mypetconcubine.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recipe.