There’s something to be said about holiday food and drinks. Filling, flavorful, and most importantly, food and drinks bring people together. For me, the holidays also bring a slight sense of pressure to impress or wow my friends, family or guests, whether it be with an appetizer, an entrée, or in this case, a beverage.
I’m always on the hunt for recipes that can be made quick, that don’t require me to have Rachael Ray’s cooking skills and that use items I can find in my pantry (plus a few additional groceries). Most importantly, though, I seek seasonal recipes that explode with flavor and aren’t just another holiday cookie or a spiked eggnog.
This simple sangria alleviates the “I hope this drink tastes okay” pressure instantly as it checks all of the aforementioned boxes. The combination of mulled cranberries, muddled oranges and your favorite red wine—hello, Bonanza—is guaranteed to bring a smooth, strong flavor to your holiday table. Be prepared, everyone is going to want this recipe!
Ingredients:
CRANBERRY SYRUP
1 cup and 3⁄4 cup whole cranberries, divided 1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp ground cloves
SANGRIA
3 medium oranges (or 2 large) 1 bottle red wine
1/3 cup triple sec
Preparation:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves, and 1 cup of the cranberries. Bring to a boil and immediately turn down to a simmer. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, and being careful not to let mixture boil over. After 10 minutes, cranberries will be macerated, and mixture will have thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Once cranberry mixture has cooled, strain it into a small container. Save the cranberry chunks to use as chutney and set aside the mulled syrup.
Slice one orange and add the slices to the bottom of a large glass pitcher. Muddle the oranges. Juice the other two oranges and add the juice to the pitcher, along with the mulled cranberry syrup, red wine, and triple sec.
Stir to combine.
Roughly chop the remaining 3⁄4 cup of cranberries, then add to the pitcher. Allow sangria to chill in the fridge minimum of two hours (I recommend four to six for maximum flavor). Serve chilled with a cinnamon-sugared rim to your friends, family and anyone alike!
To serve sparkling: Right before serving, top off your pitcher with sparkling water, seltzer, club soda, or ginger ale!
Facebook Comments