Cranberry Sauce

1 (12oz) bag fresh cranberries
2 large oranges
1 cup pure maple syrup

1. Rinse the cranberries under cold water. Zest the oranges.

2. Add the cranberries and zest to a medium saucepan. Squeeze the juice from both oranges into the saucepan. Add the maple syrup and stir it all together.

3. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until it’s nice and thick. If the sauce still seems a little thin, just simmer longer until it’s the right consistency.

4. Transfer the sauce to a dish and cover. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in the fridge.

Makes approximately 3 cups.

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Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Shortbread

2.5 cups all purpose flour
6 tbsp sugar
1 cup butter (no substitutions), cold, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp peppermint extract, divided
1 cup peppermint bark candy, chopped

1 bag (10oz) bittersweet chocolate chips

1. In a food processor with knife blade attached, pulse flour, salt, and sugar until combined. Add butter and vanilla, and pulse until dough begins to come together. Place dough in a medium bowl. Gently knead in peppermint bark pieces until evenly blended and dough forms a ball.

2. Line a 9x13" baking pan with wax paper. Pat dough into roughly a 9x10" rectangle; freeze 15 minutes. 

3. Preheat oven to 325 with baking rack in top third of oven.

4. Cut dough into three sections, the "long way" and into one-inch "sticks" the "short way." Place sticks 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake cookies 23-26 minutes, rotating once, or until lightly browned on the bottom and just beginning to get a hint of light brown on top. Transfer cookies to wax paper-lined wire rack to cool.

6. Once the cookies have cooled completely, place half the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave 75 seconds at 70%; stir. Continue heating chocolate chips at 10-15 second intervals, stirring between, until completely melted. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract. Dip each cookie 3/4 of the way in melted chocolate, using a spoon to help coat cookie evenly. Place on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet. Repeat for remaining cookies, melting more chocolate when the first batch is used up.

7. Place cookies in freezer for 15 minutes to harden, moving cookie sheets to refrigerator until the chocolate finishes setting.

8. Once completely hardened, store in tightly covered container, separating layers with wax paper.

Makes approximately 36 cookies.

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