The day after Thanksgiving we begin to decorate, ONLY because we want to have Ed’s Lionel O train set, with a mile of track, streetlamps and several buildings, including one on fire, set up around the tree for as long as possible. So, that makes me pull out my drink recipes and look for something equally festive to drink…while he plays conductor.
This recipe utilized my newest cookbook, Muy Bueno (More on the cookbook can be read here: http://westranchbeacon.com/2012/09/eve%E2%80%99s-wine-101-muy-bueno-three-generations-of-authentic-mexican-flavor ) I liked the recipe as all I had to buy were the cranberries. Very refreshing! My edits are below in italics.
Ingredients for Cranberry Puree
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, about 4 oranges (Recipe was for 10, I halved it, and I wasn’t buying a ½ orange so I just used ½ cup of OJ, problem solved.)
1 cup sugar (again, divided in half)
1 16 ounce package of fresh cranberries (used about 2 cups)
Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar in the orange juice. Add the cranberries and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Set aside and let it cool. Blend cranberries in a blender, then strain to make the puree. (This straining step took about 5 annoying minutes, but I was rewarded with a puree…may have been my first!)
Ingredients for 1 drink
1 ½ ounces of your favorite tequila (Used Hornitos Silver)
½ ounce of Grand Marnier
2 ounces of cranberry puree
Directions
In a shaker add crushed ice, 1 1/2 ounces of tequila, 1/2 ounce of Grand Marnier, 2 ounces of cranberry puree and shake to mix. Pour drink into a sugar (Never! Way too sweet a drink for us.) rimmed martini glass. Add a cranberry swizzle stick for garnish. (Why go to all that work for a garnish? I skewered a couple of cranberries for our garnish.)
Ingredients for Cranberry Swizzle Sticks (If you want, we skipped this, see above.)
10 skewer sticks
1 16 ounce package of fresh cranberries
1 cup of light Karo syrup
1 cup of granulated sugar
Directions
Skewer several cranberries onto 10 skewer sticks but leave enough skewer exposed on one end. Lightly brush each cranberry skewer with Karo syrup and then sprinkle granulated sugar over the cranberry skewers. Place the cranberry swizzle sticks on wax paper and place in the freezer to set.
http://www.muybuenocookbook.com/2010/11/cranberry-margarita/
