Name: Apple-Raisin Cranberry Sauce
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Serves 8 (Makes about 2 cups)
Ingredients: 3/4 cup apple cider; 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 apple, peeled, cored, and shredded; 1/4 cup golden raisins; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 (12-ounce) bag cranberries (see note), picked through

Why This Recipe Works

The standard back-of-the-bag recipe for Apple-Raisin Cranberry Sauce was a little soupy. Cranberries contain a lot of water, and cutting down on the additional liquid yielded the ideal consistency. We replaced the water with apple cider and added fresh apple for a unique spin on traditional cranberry sauce. We found frozen cranberries worked equally well as fresh, but we needed to increase the cooking time slightly. Leaving our Basic Cranberry Sauce on the stove for too long left us with a mushy red mash, so it was important to keep a close eye on it as it cooked.

Before You Begin

Fresh and frozen cranberries work equally well. If you are using frozen, add one to two minutes to the cooking time. Slightly sweet apples such as Golden Delicious or Gala work best for this recipe. Shred the apple on the large holes of a box grater.

Instructions

Bring cider, sugar, and salt to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cranberries, apple, raisins, and cinnamon and simmer until slightly thickened and two-thirds of berries have burst, about 5 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl and cool completely, at least 1 hour. Serve. (Sauce can be refrigerated for 1 week.)