Christmas wouldn’t be the same without Cranberry Sauce garnishing a variety of dishes, including the star of the show, the turkey. I try to kid myself that its full of nutrients, because of the cranberries, but the same could then be said about jam (or jelly if you live in the USA), or any other preserve. I don’t really believe its the case, but I just don’t care- I love it regardless, along with the other delicacies of the festive season. It’s all about balance. We try not to have too much unnecessary food hanging around so that we are forced to finish everything, after all the shops are barely closed, so we don’t really need to. It’s very easy to spend the time watching cheesy Christmas movies and eating too much chocolate so we also walk with the dogs every day, For them as they need plenty of exercise and for us to get some fresh air and exercise too. This year I plan to run over the Christmas week not to eat more (ok well maybe!), but because I enjoy it. Anyway, back to Cranberry Sauce.
I’ve tried many different versions of it over the years including Chilli Cranberry Sauce, but I found this recipe in the November issue of BBC Good Food Magazine. I often adapt recipes to my own taste, but I knew this one was just perfect as it was.

Cranberry & Marmalade Sauce – serves 8 (can easily be halved)

300g Fresh or frozen cranberries
Juice of 1 orange
50g light muscovado sugar
100g orange shred marmalade

• Pop all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan over a low heat and stir until the sugar and marmalade have melted and it starts to bubble.
• Cook for 3-5 minutes until they are tender, but still holding their shape.
• Set aside to cool and thicken (although it will have a looser texture that shop bought varieties).

The sauce can be kept in to fridge for up to 1 week and is also suitable for freezing.