“Decked Out” Cranberry Sauce with Plums and Apples
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Chill Time: 30 minutes |Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes | Serves: 4
An updated “Decked Out Cranberry Sauce” was way overdue (the photos, too!). I slightly revamped the recipe and I absolutely love it! Adding more “bulky” ingredients allowed me to use only 1 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries. I didn’t steer away from the spices, though. I love them together in this holiday side dish way too much to desert them.
I omitted the celery. My oldest son pointed out that celery does not belong in cranberry sauce. My mom used to put it in hers, and I personally loved the crunch. I’ve added diced apples to somewhat “replace” that texture (and make my son happier)(Just kidding.)
Below is from the original post because it’s just too sweet, fun, and touching to leave out.
Thanksgiving… Does it bring images of perfectly roasted turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, Macy’s Thanksgiving parade and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?
As Americans, we know our Thanksgiving traditions and heritage are based on our history as to how this country was pioneered. However, did you know 17 countries celebrate their own versions of Thanksgiving?
Friends that we’ve had since college, who God called to the mission field in Uganda, described to me adjustments and special memories of Thanksgiving in another country. American families would “gather every year and have a huge meal together.” Keeping with the Tennessee weather, their daughter would wear a sweater, no matter the Ugandan weather, “because it should be sweater-weather on Thanksgiving!” Substituting foods in Uganda was inevitable; chicken for a turkey or butternut squash for sweet potatoes, but some fellow missionaries would save back items like boxed stuffing or Jell-O No-Bake Cheesecake mixes (brought back from the states) just for this special occasion. My friend summed it beautifully and perfectly, “The heart of everyone coming together as a family away from our natural families and truly being thankful to our Lord for all that He has done,” was the best part of their Thanksgiving.
Enjoy!
"Decked Out" Cranberry Sauce with Plums and Apples
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
- 3 plums, pitted, and diced into 1/2" pieces, no need to peel
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 2/3
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- zest from 1 large orange, (1 heaping tablespoon)
- 2 - 3 whole star anise, see Notes
- 2 cinnamon sticks, see Notes
- 3/4 cup apple, any variety, peeled and diced (I like about 1/4" pieces)
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the cranberries, plums, orange juice, sugar, zest, star anise and cinnamon. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Cook the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cranberries have (mostly) popped, the plums are mostly dissolved, and there is little liquid left in the pan.
- Set the pan aside to cool for another 30 minutes.
- Using tongs, fish out the star anise and cinnamon sticks and discard.
- Stir in the apples and pecans.
- Scrape the cranberry sauce into a serving bowl and serve at room temperature or cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days.
0 Comments