I know that I’m not alone when I say that I love the Holidays! From Thanksgiving (ok, if I’m being honest with myself, from Halloween) through Christmas and New Year’s Eve I love the Holidays. All of the decorations, the cool-to-cold weather, the first snow, and all of the amazing food! This time of year, we make all of those special recipes that define Thanksgiving and Christmas to our taste buds. The Cranberry Sauce simmering away on the stove. The Snickerdoodles baking in the oven. The Apple Pie cooling on the counter.
I don’t know about you, but I always end up with some odds and ends left over from a flurry of holiday cooking and baking. An apple or pear too bruised to use in a pie. About half a bag of cranberries that I didn’t use. I always over buy cinnamon sticks because I love cinnamon and I can always find someway to use it. So I gathered all of my leftover Thanksgiving goodies and threw them in a pot and let it simmer away for an hour or so… the kitchen smelled amazing as the flavors mingled and the liquid reduced.
Once cooled I mixed it with some Maker’s Mark and topped it with Fever Tree Ginger Beer. Honestly, it would mix well with almost any liquor, it just depends on what your feeling and what you have on hand. But your favorite vodka or rum (I would go with a Spiced Rum over a Silver Rum) or even a nice tequila would all be a nice addition to this reduction. If you don’t have Ginger Beer, Ginger Ale, Club Soda, or even just Sprite would be good. Or you could spike some Champagne or Sparkling Apple Juice to make a festive Mimosa. This juice is incredibly versatile. I was really tempted to reduce some of it down to a syrup to serve over pancakes- but that will have to wait for the next batch!
Let me know what you think and how you use this concoction!
Cranberry-Pear-Cinnamon-Maple Reduction
- In a 5 quart pot combine-
- -6 cups water
- -12oz fresh Cranberries
- -2 Pears (or Apples or one of each) cored and chopped
- -2 Cinnamon Sticks
- -5oz Demerara Sugar
- -4oz Pure Maple Syrup
- -and if you have an orange lying around, throw a slice or two into the pot
Bring it all to a slow boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes. Taste test for desired sweetness/flavor concentration. Either continue reducing or allow to cool and strain into a storage container and chill.
Spiked Cranberry and Spice
- In a Collins glass, over ice combine
- 1.5 oz Maker’s Mark (or your favorite spirit to get you in the Holiday Spirit)
- 2 oz Cranberry-Pear Reduction
- Stir to combine
- Top with Fever Tree Ginger Beer
- Garnish with an Orange Wedge, Cranberries, or nothing at all.
Enjoy!