Get ready to impress your holiday guests this season with this delightful sweet and tart cherry-flavored cranberry sauce. Made with frozen cherries, brandy, and a lovely mix of granulated and light brown sugars, this fresh cranberry side dish is sure to impress. With just a dash of cinnamon, a pinch of sea salt, and a hint of vanilla, it’s bursting with flavor. Best of all, this colorful cranberry sauce is super easy to make, leaving you more time to spend with your family and friends this holiday season.
This “Cherry & Brandy Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce” was about two seconds away from being called, “Janet’s Boozy Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce with Cherries & Brandy.” If you’re blessed like I am, you have a Janet in your life. My Janet is the life of the party. She’s pretty much always in a fantastic mood, has a smile on her face nine times out of ten, loves to dance and play on and in the water, and has an infectious laugh that you can’t help but want to hear. She also makes a mean cocktail, that more often than not, knocks you on your ass. So, when I needed to purchase a bottle of brandy for cooking and baking, Janet was the obvious person to go to for help. When I told her what I was searching for, she suggested Asbach Uralt 3-Year-Old German Brandy. And after making this cranberry sauce, I can assure you that Janet knows her alcohol. Sadly, the only reason I decided not to name this recipe after my amazing friend Janet was because it only has 1/3 cup of brandy in it. Enough to add flavor, but definitely not enough to knock you on your ass. But with a big ol’ bottle of this brandy in my possession, I’m 99% sure that there’s a recipe with Janet’s name on it in my future.
Ingredients:
- 1 (12-oz.) Bag Fresh Cranberries
- 8-oz. Frozen Cherries, Roughly Chopped
- 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1/3 Cup Brandy
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
Directions:
- Place all of the ingredients, except for the vanilla, in a non-reactive metal saucepan over high heat. Stir the sauce constantly.
- Allow the sauce to come to a boil. When the cranberries have popped open, the sauce becomes burgundy, and the sauce has begun to thicken, reduce the heat to low. (This should take approximately 7 to 9 minutes.)
- Continue cooking the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, smashing the berries open with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula.
- When the sauce has thickened and the majority of the berries have been smashed open, remove the sauce from the heat.
- Stir in the vanilla and then spoon the sauce into a heat-proof container.
- Allow the cranberry sauce to cool, and then refrigerate it until well chilled.
Suggestions:
- Rinse and strain the cranberries before placing them in the saucepan, making sure to pick out any cranberries that are bad.
- I used Asbach Uralt 3-Year-Old German Brandy for this cranberry sauce.
- Stir the sauce constantly to prevent sticking or burning.
- Store the cranberry sauce in a glass container that will not stain.
- The cranberry sauce will thicken slightly while in the refrigerator. Stir the sauce well before serving.
Improvements:
- If you prefer a looser cranberry sauce, add a little bit of water, orange juice, or more brandy to thin the sauce out.
- Fold finely chopped walnuts or pecans into this cranberry sauce.
- Grate the zest of 1 orange into the finished cranberry sauce.
- Use this cranberry sauce to make these Cranberry Crescent Rolls with Maple Icing.
Ingredients:
- 1 (12-oz.) Bag Fresh Cranberries
- 8-oz. Frozen Cherries, Roughly Chopped
- 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1/3 Cup Brandy
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
Directions:
- Place all of the ingredients, except for the vanilla, in a non-reactive metal saucepan over high heat. Stir the sauce constantly.
- Allow the sauce to come to a boil. When the cranberries have popped open, the sauce becomes burgundy, and the sauce has begun to thicken, reduce the heat to low. (This should take approximately 7 to 9 minutes.)
- Continue cooking the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, smashing the berries open with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula.
- When the sauce has thickened and the majority of the berries have been smashed open, remove the sauce from the heat.
- Stir in the vanilla and then spoon the sauce into a heat-proof container.
- Allow the cranberry sauce to cool, and then refrigerate it until well chilled.
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