Homemade Cranberry Sauce

     Finally, I've come to the last of my Thanksgiving recipes just in time for Christmas. But really, aren't all Thanksgiving foods interchangeable with Christmas ones? Cranberry sauce is one thing I wish I could have year round, so I think it's definitely not too late to make some.  In the past, cranberry sauce was the only Thanksgiving food that I consistently hated, and that's because I just couldn't understand how a glob of jello from a can qualified as a sauce. It does not. Because I now know that homemade cranberry sauce is one of the simplest recipes ever, it's an even more confusing and upsetting experience for me when I find that most people still resort to the cans. Seriously people, it takes 10 minutes and essentially only 3 ingredients (although I add more for fun) to make something infinitely better. That's why every year, I make it my mission to convert as many people as possible to this delicious, fresh cranberry sauce that's actually a sauce.

INGREDIENTS:
12oz fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar---add more if desired
zest of 1 orange (optional)
3/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium-sized pot, stir 1 cup of sugar into the water and bring just to a boil to dissolve.
2. Add the cranberries to the pot and let them cook until they pop and the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. It'll go through stages of getting pink and foamy, but in the end, it'll be beautiful.

3. When the berries pop and it gets to this stage, turn off the heat. Taste test it to see if it's sweet enough. If it's still to sour or bitter for your taste, add a little more sugar. If you're a minimalist, you can call it done now.
4. If you want to make it extra special, chop some walnuts, zest and orange, and mix that into the sauce while it's still warm.
5. Let the sauce cool, and then store it in the fridge. This is great to make a day or two in advance.

     I promise this actual sauce is worth the little bit of extra effort. Once you try it, you'll never go back to the canned version. Enjoy, and stay tuned for one more recipe later today. In the meantime, check out this soufflé. It's a challenge, but a skill for all to master.