Rinse the cranberries before use. Sort cranberries and discard anything that looks odd.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, water, orange zest, orange juice, both sugars, and cinnamon sticks.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Be careful! Watch the cranberries closely. They can bubble up and could possibly boil over if you are not watching them.
Simmer the cranberry mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the brandy and continue to simmer until cranberries burst and the sauce reduces slightly; about 5 more minutes.
Turn off the heat. Remove the cinnamon sticks from the cranberry sauce.
Stir in the vanilla extract and pour the sauce into a serving dish or storage container. Allow the sauce to cool and thicken up; 30 minutes.
Notes
Storage:
Refrigerator: Store the cranberry sauce in the refrigerator inside an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Freezer: Sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Place it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw when ready to use it.
Naturally Thick: There is no need to add cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Cranberries thicken up beautifully and naturally.Make-Ahead: Make the cranberry sauce the day ahead. I think it's better when it's cold all the way through. I believe you will like it that way too.Frozen Cranberries: If you are using frozen cranberries, there is no need to defrost them, but you will have to adjust the cooking time to allow them to thaw.Listen! When the cranberries are about done, you can hear them start to burst. This will tell you how done they are. If you want more whole berries, turn off the heat after you hear a few bursts. Leave them on longer for a less chunky cranberry sauce.Add Vanilla After Cooking: wait and add the vanilla extract after the sauce cools a few minutes. Vanilla contains alcohol. If it cooks, the heat will cause it to evaporate, and it will not taste as strong.Orange Zest: Use a Microplane to zest the orange that goes into the sauce. This way, you won't end up chewing on large strands of zest. Use a zester to zest orange peel for garnish.
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