Fruit Challenge #7: Cranberries

This was a complete spur of the moment idea that struck me about 25 minutes before dinner was to be ready. Boy was roasting a chicken with lemon, thyme, and sage and I was seriously bumming because we didn't have any cranberry sauce to enjoy with it. [That's right Mom, the stuff out of the can. I am a complete convert, I know.]

Being the inventive chef that I am, the light bulb nearly exploded as I remembered that I had fresh cranberries in the fridge from Wareham, MA. [For you out-of-towners, Wareham is about an hour south of the city very near to the Cape.]

Fresh Cranberry Sauce
1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries
1 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. Cognac (optional, of course)

Rinse cranberries and pick over to discard any that might be funky. In a saucepan, stir together water and sugar until dissolved. Add cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cranberry skins pop and mixture thickens, approximately 10 minutes. Add Cognac and continue to cook until sauce thickens, an additional 5-7 minutes. Let cool [it will set up even more] before serving.

[Insert final product picture here, but unfortunately this stuff did not photograph well. Just trust me that it was amazing.]