cranberry ginger scones

Yes, cranberries have been the lead actor in my kitchen this past month. What can I say. I love them. They're red, cheerful, tart, and SO festive. I know it's post-Christmas/New Year's now, but I say, let the festivity continue. Why not?!

And I'm sure, you, like me, love not just a good party, but also a good scone. {Party at breakfast!} I saw a recipe that called for all cream, and though I was tempted, I opted for this one, which included both cream and BUTTER.

cranberry cobbler

I bet when you saw the title, you were envisioning some type of fruity baked dessert with a biscuit/dough/streusel topping. I'm sorry if I disappointed you, but there are cranberries, yes. Flour, no. Gin, yes. Butter, no.

You start with some cranberries cooked slightly in a simple syrup,

 cooled and muddled with citrus fruits, steeped with gin and sherry,

 strained, poured over crushed ice 

 and then topped with a sprig of mint.

boozy cranberry sauce

How far in advance do you start cooking for your Thanksgiving dinner? Have you started yet? I'm sure you've made some sort of list, if you haven't already gotten all the shopping done.

 

So far, I've made one thing. And it's taken about 7 minutes. Ok, maybe 12. I love the ease, simplicity and do-it-ahead-check-it-off-your-list quality of recipe. If you haven't ever made cranberry sauce from scratch, you should give it a try- just boil cranberries with some sugar and water, hear it snap! crackle! and pop! and then turn super thick. Cranberries have natural pectin, which cause them to thicken beautifully while cooling down after being cooked.