Nutty Cranberry Sauce with Cognac
This Nutty Cranberry Sauce with Cognac is for all the nut lovers out there! With lots of chunky toasted nuts and rich, warming Cognac, this super easy and delicious recipe will be a welcome addition around your holiday table.
Servings: 3.2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup chopped unsalted mixed nuts (about 5 ounces)
- 1 cup Cognac or other brandy
- 1 cup sugar
- Juice and zest from 1 large orange (about 2-3 Tbsp zest and ½ cup (4 fl oz) juice
- 1 pound cranberries, rinsed
Instructions
- Gather and prep all ingredients according to specifications above.
- If the nuts are raw, carefully toast them over medium-low heat in a dry pan, tossing occasionally. Don’t walk away! It doesn’t take very long and nuts could burn in an instant. Once lightly toasted, remove the nuts from the pan and set aside. (You can skip this step if the nuts are already roasted.)
- Combine the Cognac, sugar and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir. Simmer lightly for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the alcohol taste has cooked off.
- Then, stir in the cranberries and bring the mixture up to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer.
- After simmering for 1 to 2 minutes, the cranberries will begin to pop. Begin smashing them with a fork or potato masher to your desired level of chunkiness. Continue to simmer a few more minutes (about 7 to 8 minutes total). Simmer less time for a chunkier sauce and more time for a smoother sauce.
- Remove pan from heat, stir in the orange zest and cool.
- Bring the cranberry sauce to room temperature, then stir the nuts into the sauce just before serving. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- Garnishing Suggestion: Just before serving, top the cranberry sauce with some additional orange zest or orange peel.
- Make the base of this cranberry sauce (i.e., the sauce without the nuts added) in advance of the big day, so there is less to do amidst all the hustle and bustle! I suggest up to one week in advance. Do not add the nuts to the sauce until just before serving, otherwise they will get soft and unpalatable.
- The leftovers of this cranberry sauce last for about 7 days in the fridge, stored in an airtight container. The nuts will likely soften after one day in the refrigerator, but the flavor will still be excellent!
