Ingredients:
½ cup       butter, softened
½ cup       sugar
½ cup       brown sugar
1               large egg
1 tsp         vanilla extract
1 ½ cups   flour
½ tsp        baking soda
¼ tsp        kosher salt
1 ½ cups white chocolate, cut into chunks
1 cup        dried cranberries
Method:

Preheat oven to 350f. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar together on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla, beating until fluffy. On low speed, add the flour, baking soda, salt, white chocolate and cranberries, mixing just until flour disappears. Do not over-mix. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, just until the edges begin to brown. Cool cookies on wire rack.

Yield: 16 large cookies

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15 oz cranberries
1 hard apple such as Arkansas Black, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2″ chunks (this is optional, but it’s my father’s way of doing it and I like the added contrast of texture and flavor)
1 cup water
2 cups sugar (for an approximate 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger or crystallized ginger
3″ cinnamon stick
zest of 1 orange in finest possible threads
1 tsp vodka (I used vodka that that I had previously flavored with a few slices of fresh citron peel, but plain vodka would work be fine. Brandy, Cointreau or even gin would be other options)
1/4 cup chopped pecans — or you could also use walnuts or pistachios if you prefer

1 — Rinse cranberries and put in a kettle with water, cubed apple, ginger, cinnamon stick and orange zest. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes until berries pop.
2 — Add sugar to the kettle and return to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has fully dissolved, add alcohol and nuts and cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring carefully to prevent scorching. Because cranberries have so much pectin, the mixture will quickly reach the jell point, so once it begins to thicken in the pot, turn off heat and test for a jell set.
3 — Once a jell set is achieved, remove cinnamon stick and ladle hot jam into prepared 1/2 pint jars and seal. (Work quickly! You won’t believe how fast the pectin in this recipe sets up.) Process sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

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Ingredients:
4 cups cranberry juice
2 tbsp mulling spice
½ cup brandy
Cinnamon sticks
4 orange slices
This is great for parties.  You can also make this as a festive chilled cocktail.  Instead of using brandy substitute vodka and serve chilled over ice.  You can also make a festive martini with this.

Method:
Heat cranberry and mulling spice.  Let steep for about 20 minutes. Strain.  Add brandy and mix well.  Pour into 4 mugs and garnish with orange slices and cinnamon stick.

Yields 4 drinks.

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