Some say it’s all about the turkey, but what is Thanksgiving without that tart, fruity cranberry sauce. Some stick to the canned version. I personally can’t stand the jiggly, Jello-like stuff. It’s so fast and easy to make, why wouldn’t you make your own? I like my cranberry sauce homemade with some depth to it. Ever since making my first batch of cranberry sauce a few Thanksgivings ago, I’ve been trying to perfect my recipe. Once you know the basic proportions, you can play around with the flavors and the tartness of the cranberries.

My new favorite combination has both orange juice and red wine instead of just water. I also decrease the liquid a bit since I like my sauce very thick. Note that refrigerating your sauce will thicken it incredibly. Bringing it back to room temperature – and especially on a plate of hot food – will thin it out slightly again. The secret ingredient to deepening the flavor and removing some of the bright acidity is cinnamon. It makes the sauce taste and smell incredible. Just like…Thanksgiving.

See the full orange cranberry sauce recipe here >>