Cranberry Wine Sauce

Earlier this week, I shared my new favorite leftover recipe on WCCO.com. If you're lucky enough to have leftover pie, you have to try the Pumpkin Pie Parfait recipe. Mmm…so good!
 
I was recently reminded of a recipe I posted over on WCCO a couple Thanksgivings ago. Since they redid their website (my page included), it never got archived so I figured it would be good to post again over here.

This sauce is absolutely delicious.  The sweetness from the sugar and tartness from the cranberries make an excellent pair.  The Ratafia enhances the orange flavor and brings out the spiciness from cloves, allspice and cinnamon, but you can certainly use port instead as that's what the original recipe called for.

Have leftover cranberry sauce? Use it to top your oatmeal :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ruby Ratafia Cranberry Sauce

(adapted from Los Angeles Times)
Makes 2 cups

1 ½ cups Alexis Bailly Ratafia (or port)

¾ cup sugar
3 cloves
½ stick cinnamon
3 allspice berries (or a dash of allspice)
4 black peppercorns
2-inch-by- ½  -inch strip of orange peel
1 (12 ounce) package cranberries, washed

In a medium saucepan, combine the Ratafia and sugar. Tie the cloves, cinnamon stick, allspice and black peppercorns in a small piece of cheesecloth. Add the spice bundle to the saucepan. Add the orange peel. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the wine is reduced to 1 cup, about 4 minutes.

Add the cranberries to the wine. Return to a simmer over medium-high heat then lower the heat and simmer until the cranberries pop, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Let cool to warm then remove the spice bundle and orange peel. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.