Celebrate Feliz Navidad with our Five-Igredient Cran-a-Peño Sauce Recipe (aka Southwest Cranberry Sauce Recipe!)

Did you know that cranberries are also called "bounce berries?" They got that nickname because they literally bounce when they are fully ripe and dropped on a hard surface.  Such a Fun Food Fact! Test this one out if you don't believe me. The under-ripe and over-ripe berries will just hit the table and sit there. The perfectly ripe berries will bounce! No, I am not making this up. There is a great post about bounce berries and several versions of a sauce at Cusine by Eileen.

Isn't it fitting that a food with such a fun nickname is a food associated with such happy times?!

Cranberry sauce is one of the easiest things you can make. Just cook them with some orange juice and sugar to taste. Mash them up with a potato masher while simmering and they will release their pectin and your sauce will be naturally thickened.

This year, I decided to add a kick to the bounce berries - I added jalapeños. These two fruits taste wonderful together. The four ingredients are a match made in heaven: cranberries (tang), jalapeños (heat), sugar (sweetness), and orange (acid/citrus). Sublime!

You can make an easy southwest appetizer by spreading some goat cheese or cream cheese on a crostini, top with the cranberry sauce and then the finale: a slice of jalapeño!

Salud a Todos!

Cheers Everyone!

Cran-a-peño Sauce (Southwest Style Cranberry Sauce)

12 ounces fresh or frozen whole cranberries
1 orange juice
A little orange zest (optional)
1 cup sugar
1 jalapeño, diced
A pinch of salt

Bring all ingredients to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, mashing with a potato masher while cooking to break up cranberries. Cool and enjoy!

Other bloggers' take on cranberry sauce:
Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce, Two Peas and Their Pod
Jellied Cranberry Sauce, Sarah's Cucina Bella
Cranberry Sauce, Annie's Eats
Rosemary Persimmon Cranberry Sauce, What We're Eating

-- posted by Donna