Cranberry Sauce (refined sugar free)

It's the day before Thanksgiving, so what am I doing?  The same thing you probably are - COOKING (whilst listening to Christmas music).

I LOVE THANKSGIVING!!!  

It's one of my favorite holidays.  We always have a crowd of friends, family and lots of food.  And my motto is "the more the merrier" on all three counts. 

One of our longtime Thanksgiving guests is a sweet lady who ALWAYS brings the cranberry sauce.  After all these years, she doesn't even have to ask what to bring because the answer is always the same - cranberry sauce!!  She makes it herself from a recipe we got long ago from another friend.  It's just not Thanksgiving without her cranberry sauce.  (Have I stressed this enough?)

Well, this year, our friend is NOT bringing the cranberry sauce because she is at home sick with a terrible cold.  I guess we'll have to excuse her.  After all, an 86-year-old is allowed to stay home sick once in a awhile...even though we will miss her company AND the cranberry sauce. (My girlie said she is "so fun" and the kids will miss playing card games with her.)

Anyhoo, on a whim, I decided to try my hand at a version of "the sauce" while using no refined sugar.  It's extremely easy to make.  Let me know if you try it -

Cranberry Sauce (refined sugar free) 

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh whole cranberries, rinsed

1 1/2 cups apple cider (made from apples only - no sugar added)

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (must be pure)

juice of 1 large orange

zest of the same orange

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Place everything in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Turn heat down and keep simmering until it thickens.  (30-40 minutes?  Not too sure - I'm juggling Thanksgiving recipes over here...)  It will thicken more as it cools.

Allow to cool and refrigerate. 

That's it!