Quick. If you make these cranberries right now they will be ready for your New Year’s Eve cocktails. And trust me. You are going to want them for your cocktails.
These tart little berries are sweetened with a syrup made of raw sugar, rich bourbon and aromatic whole spices. They take only minutes to prepare and they make a good destination for the half bag of cranberries left in the fridge that you can’t find a use for.
Add them to any of your favorite cocktails. I think they are especially good floating in Manhattans or in an Old Fashioned. I’d even be tempted to drop them into a Cosmo for something special.
Don’t stop at cocktails. A spoonful over pancakes or your favorite holiday ice cream is a perfectly acceptable use for them, too.
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup raw sugar
- 5 cardamom pods
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup Kentucky bourbon
- Rinse and dry the cranberries and discard any that are soft. Place the cranberries in a jar, at least 1 pint in size.
- In a small saucepan, warm the water over medium-high heat. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a low boil and cook for 5 minutes. The liquid should reduce by about 1/4 and thicken into a dark syrup.
- Add the cardamom, star anise and cloves. Set the pan aside and let cool for at least 1 hour. Stir it occasionally. The longer it sits the more the spices will infuse into it.
- Strain the spices from the syrup and discard. Pour the syrup into the jar with the cranberries. Add enough bourbon to cover the cranberries. It was about 2/3 cup for me. Give it a stir. Seal the jar with an airtight lid.
- Let sit in the fridge for at least 2 days before serving, preferably a week.
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Sounds marvelous!
They are so good! They are going to be a regular seasonal treat around here!