When making Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Zinfandel...

[Left Is Write]

You must make sure to use a decent red Zinfandel. Otherwise, how can you drink what's leftover after measuring the 1-3/4 cups required for the sauce? ;)


SPICED CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH ZINFANDEL

1 3/4 cups red Zinfandel
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 3x1-inch strip orange peel
1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

Combine all ingredients except cranberries in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 3/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Strain syrup into large saucepan. Add cranberries to syrup and cook over medium heat until berries burst, about 6 minutes. Cool. Transfer sauce to medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Makes about 3 cups.

[Shine]

1. that looks great!! does it taste very alcohol-y, or does it cook out?

my hubby doesn't drink, so I have to be sure....

thanks! :hi:

[Left Is Write]

2. No, it doesn't taste like alcohol at all. It tastes sweet and spicy...

and cranberry-y.

I love the clove and brown sugar in it.

[Shine]

3. sounds killer. I'm gonna print up the recipe. Thanks!

:hug:

[Shine]

4. Hey, LIW!

I was perusing your recipe more closely and have a couple of questions:

the "6 whole allspice"...I have ground allspice. How would that translate to GROUND allspice? Any suggestions? 6 teaspoons? 6 Tablespoons? :shrug: Whaddya think?

does the quality of zinfandel really matter, if it just cooks off? Should I use a relatively cheap bottle of it, as opposed to a really expensive bottle? Just curious about your thoughts on that, too.

Thanks!

[Left Is Write]

5. It has to be whole allspice - the ground stuff won't strain out.

You'll wind up with it actually in the sauce.

And yes, you can use a inexpensive bottle of Zinfandel. I just like to drink the leftover wine, so I try not to go for the real cheap stuff. ;)

[Shine]

6. what the hell does whole allspice look like? pods or something?

I'm the only one who drinks in our family, so whatever bottle of wine gets opened generally lasts for a while....unless we've got company. :)

[Left Is Write]

7. They're just tiny little round things.

[Shine]

8. That's just what the aliens want us to think.

:rofl: