Hard Cider Cranberry Sauce - A simple, quick, SPIKED twist on classic cranberry sauce. | foxeslovelemons.com

It’s official – I’m a middle-aged woman now. I actually LIKE cranberry sauce these days. I remember hating it as a kid (as most children do, I think), and even turning my nose up at it just a few years ago. It was just . . . such an old lady thing to eat, and so sour and weird.

Why was there fruit on my plate with all this savory food? My mother and mother-in-law were the only ones that partook in this side dish, so I would make a small batch just for them, send them home with any leftovers, and be done with it.

Epic Thanksgiving - A flavor-packed, chef-inspired Thanksgiving dinner that YOU can make at home! | foxeslovelemons.com

But over the last few years, I’ve snuck a small spoonful of the red stuff onto my plate, just in the interest of trying each dish. And you know what? I’ve found myself really enjoying those few bites.

I mix the cranberry sauce with the turkey, and secretly, I love it now. I’ve even started making a cranberry curd tart recipe for dessert.

In the years I’ve been making cranberry sauce for the moms, I’ve always spiked it with something – sometimes bourbon, sometimes wine. With Michigan being one of the nation’s leading apple producers, hard cider is plentiful here. So this year, this Hard Cider Cranberry Sauce is on my epic menu. Enjoy!

Hard Cider Cranberry Sauce - A simple, quick, SPIKED twist on classic cranberry sauce. | foxeslovelemons.com

Hard Cider Cranberry Sauce - A simple, quick, SPIKED twist on classic cranberry sauce. | foxeslovelemons.com

Hard Cider Cranberry Sauce

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and diced
  • 2 bags (12 ounces each) fresh cranberries
  • Zest of ½ orange
  • 1 cup hard cider
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

  1. In medium saucepan, stir together all ingredients. Heat to simmering over medium heat. Cook 12 to 14 minutes or until cranberries begin to burst, stirring occasionally. Transfer to refrigerator and let cool completely before serving.

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Epic Thanksgiving - A flavor-packed, chef-inspired Thanksgiving dinner that YOU can make at home! | foxeslovelemons.com