Think Spice, Think -- Cloves

This month, Gretchen Noelle, of Canela y Comino, is the hostess for Think Spice, the blogging event started by Sunita of Sunita's World, which features a delicious spice. The choice for this month is cloves. I decided to find a new recipe for an old favorite and came across this version of Cranberry Sauce, perfect for the holidays. I had to use up some leftover cranberries, hence my selection. My favorite use of cloves, though, is in pumpkin pie. I've been using a specific recipe for years. It is dark and spicy, with lots of cloves, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger -- not one of those anemic-looking pumpkin pies that you always see around Thanksgiving. This one leaves your mouth zinging! I'll post that recipe this fall, so for now, the world will have to be content with the cranberry recipe.




Cinnamon and Clove Cranberry Sauce

1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 1/4 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

Bring all ingredients to boil in heavy medium saucepan, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until most of cranberries burst, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer sauce to medium bowl. Cool, cover, and refrigerate cranberry sauce. Can be prepared one week ahead.