Holidays Archives · Jess in the Kitchen

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

I believe cranberry to be one of those polarizing flavors. Okay, maybe not quick polarizing like, say, coconut, but it is still a flavor that elicits strong responses. If you like cranberries, you LOVE cranberries and can’t get enough. Or is that just my family? Ha! Well, I can tell you that the cranberries at Thanksgiving are important at our household, and this homemade cranberry sauce is just the ticket.

Speaking of polarizing flavors: cinnamon. My sister and I double down on cinnamon almost always. Turns out, my mom hates it. It’s why she doesn’t like apple desserts in the fall. I do think she is in the minority, but still, cinnamon is an optional addition to this cranberry sauce. Do I love it? Absolutely. But maybe it isn’t for you and your family.

Whether you add the cinnamon or not, this homemade cranberry sauce will likely have you licking out the kettle as you transfer it to a serving dish. It’s the perfect blend of tart and sweet (although, if you like it extra tart, consider removing a few tablespoons of sugar), and is beyond simple to make. The best part: It’s easy to prep ahead of time during that busy Thanksgiving week!

And if you want to try it ahead of time, let me recommend mixing it into some plain or vanilla Greek yogurt. Holy yum! It’s definitely a favorite flavor combination this fall for me!

Ready to give it a go? Let’s start cooking!

Your Ingredients for Homemade Cranberry Sauce

⅔ cup water
⅔ cup sugar (up to a cup if you want it sweet)
3 cups fresh cranberries
2 apples, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
3 mandarin oranges, peeled and diced (or 1 large orange)
½ tablespoon orange zest
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt

Your Steps

Bring water, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and aslt. Once boiling, add the remaining ingredients. Heat over high heat to a boil once again.

Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring frequently as it thickens. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Allow to cool before refrigerating.

This cranberry sauce can be prepared a week in advance.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

This homemade cranberry sauce strikes a perfect balance of sweet and tart, making it a delightful addition to any table.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 9

Cook Time 25

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Equipment

Zester

Ingredients

⅔ cup water
⅔ cup sugar up to a cup if you want it sweet
3 cups fresh cranberries
2 apples peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
3 mandarin oranges peeled and diced (or 1 large orange)
½ tablespoon orange zest
½ teaspoon cinnamon optional
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Bring water, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and aslt. Once boiling, add the remaining ingredients. Heat over high heat to a boil once again.
Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring frequently as it thickens. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Allow to cool before refrigerating.
This cranberry sauce can be prepared a week in advance.

Keyword apples, cranberries, cranberry sauce, from scratch cranberry sauce, fruits, homemade cranberry sauce, oranges, side dishes, Thanksgiving

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Other favorite sides

Okay, so you have cranberry sauce, but do you have the rest of your sides? These are some favorites for me!

November 9, 2024November 6, 2024

Jess1 Comment

Kolachkes

If you hang around with me on Instagram, you may know that I participate in a collaboration with a number of foodie friends that has us exploring the cookbooks on our shelves each month. There are no rules besides trying three recipes each month that we haven’t made before in the many cookbooks we own. This month, I chose a WE Energies cookbook and gave Kolachkes a try!

First, the WE energies cookie book. I don’t know about other states, but in Wisconsin, WE Energies has been creating a cookie book every year since 1928. It is distributed primarily in southern Wisconsin but you can also find digital copies (Check out the archives here!). I fondly remember looking through my mom’s editions as a kid and recognized the covers in the archives.

Now for the Kolachkes. After doing some research, I was able to learn that these cookies are Polish or Czech, and are a traditional Christmas cookie. I was drawn to the cookie as it sounded like a simple shortbread like cookie (with the addition of cream cheese) and had a jam added. Many years ago, I tried a thumbprint cookie recipe and it didn’t go well. I figured this was my chance to redeem myself.

I did change the recipe just a bit, by sweetening up the dough just a bit before I baked it and I think you will LOVE it. Please give these tasty morsels a try!

Your Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 ¼ cups flour
1/2 cup preserves, I used black raspberry
⅓ cup powdered sugar
Additional powdered sugar

Your Steps to Kolachkes

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cream butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and ⅓ cup powdered sugar. Blend in 2 cups of flour and salt. Then work in remaining ¼ cup flour to form a smooth dough.

Divide the dough in half and roll half of it 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 2 in squares or circles. Make a slight indent in the center and fill with scant 1/2 teaspoon preserves.

Finish shaping squares or circles by tightly pinching opposite ends together. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Repeat with the second half.

Bake for 12-17 minutes. Cool and dust with powdered sugar. I used a fine mesh strainer for this and it worked great!

These were incredibly simple and so good! I hope you enjoy them as much as my family did!

Cut out 2 inch circles. I used a small wine glass!

Kolachkes formed and ready for the oven — Cut out 2 inch circles. I used a small wine glass!

Tools of the trade

I haven’t added a “tools of the trade” segment to a blog post for a while, but I have to share my absolute favorite baking sheets. These guys are only used for cookies and other sweet treats and they are a favorite present from years past. Also! Dusting with powdered sugar was exponentially easier using my fine strainer. We use it for so many things: straining our maple syrup, rinsing canned beans, you name it. A tool that makes your life much easier, to be sure.