Cranberry Orange Cordial Food

CRANBERRY-ORANGE JELLY

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, combine Lillet, liqueur, sugar and juniper berries if using. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until all the cranberries burst and are very soft, at least 10 minutes total (or use a candy thermometer and cook mixture to 210 to 215 degrees). The mixture should be reduced and thickened, like a very loose jam.
• Strain the sauce into a bowl through a sieve, pushing on the solids with a rubber spatula to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. Stir the liquid and transfer to a pretty serving bowl or a mold. (If using a mold, spray the insides first with nonstick cooking spray.) A funnel or liquid measuring cup with a spout can be useful for transferring without splashing the sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours, or up to several days. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
• If you chilled the jelly in a mold, turn it out by placing the mold in a large bowl. Carefully pour hot water into the bowl so it comes up the sides of the mold, melting the jelly just enough to release it from the mold. After 3 minutes, try unmolding the jelly onto a serving dish. If it doesn't come out, return to the bowl and try again 2 minutes later. Repeat until the jelly is released. If necessary, return it to the refrigerator to firm up before serving.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

HOMEMADE CRANBERRY LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Pulse cranberries in a food processor just until roughly chopped; transfer to a clean glass container. Add vodka, simple syrup, lemon peel, orange peel, cinnamon stick, and allspice to cranberries; stir until well mixed. Seal container with a lid and store in a cool dark area, 3 to 5 days, stirring several times a day. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a glass bottle and refrigerate.

CRANBERRY CORDIAL

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring sugar and 1 1/2 cups water to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Place cranberries in a food processor and pulse until they are broken up. Add cranberries, vodka and citrus zest (if using) to the sugar syrup in the pot. Stir well, then transfer to a large jar or two, cover and shake well. Shake the mixture every day for 2 weeks. At this point, you can either strain the mixture into smaller bottles for gift giving, or continue to infuse the spirit in the large jar. It will keep for up to 2 months.

CRANBERRY ORANGE CORDIAL

Steps:

• Coarsely chop the cranberries.
• Mix the cranberries in the sugar, orange zest and spices until well coated.
• Stir in the liquids.
• Pour into large glass jar and put in cool dark place for 1 month, shaking every few days.
• Strain out the solids.
• Pour into clean jar.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE COOKIES

Steps:

• Pulse the dried cranberries and granulated sugar in a food processor until the cranberries are finely ground and the sugar turns red. Add the flour, baking powder, orange zest, salt, allspice and cloves and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
• Combine the cranberry juice, food coloring and vanilla in a small bowl and add to the food processor along with the egg; pulse until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll heaping teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, then roll the balls in sanding sugar and arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until the cookies are just set on top and golden on the bottom, 18 to 24 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

CRANBERRY ORANGE OATMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla, orange zest and orange extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into the butter mixture. Stir in the oats and cranberries. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

BLUEBERRY CORDIAL

Steps:

• In a large saucepan combine everything. Simmer over medium heat and stir with wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Mash the berries as they soften, with the spoon, or a potato masher. I tried an immersion blender which worked ok but the masher was the most effective.
• Once dissolved, let cool, then steep overnight in the refrigerator. This will get the max flavour from the berries.
• Next day, strain into a bottle (clean softdrink is perfect). I used a funnel with a wire mesh strainer over the top, and poured a little at a time. Squeeze the juice from the pulp through the strainer. Set pulp aside - delicious with icecream!
• To reconstitute to a delicious drink, try 1 part cordial to 5 or 6 parts water. This will depend on how sweet you like your drinks.
• KEEP IN REFRIGERATOR.
• It makes 1.75 litres which will creat about 12 litres of drink.

ORANGE & CRANBERRY SPRITZ

Steps:

• Mix together orange juice and cranberry juice in a large jug. Slowly pour in the sparkling elderflower drink, as it will fizz up. Mix together and serve in tall glasses with ice.

ORANGE CORDIAL

Steps:

• Remove the peel from the oranges. Peel thin enough that you don't get any of the white pith.
• Place in a large saucepan together with the sugar and water. Heat until boiling. Reduce heat to create a fast simmer. Cook at this rate for 10 minutes.
• Whilst cooking, juice the 3 oranges (about 200mls).
• After 10 minutes simmering, remove from heat. Add the juice and citric acid; stir well.
• Leave to cool (about 2 hours).
• Strain and bottle.
• To serve mix a ratio of 1:5 cordial to water (ie 40ml cordial to 200mls water).