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Cranberry Sauce Shake
My post this week is an ode to leftovers. I adore them. There are so many dishes that are just as good the second time or even better. Leftovers require less cooking and less mess too. Leftovers do not need to be boring; it is not required that you eat the same dish over and over. Finding a creative and different way to use leftover meat, sauce, or side dish can lead to another interesting and tasty meal.
Thanksgiving is an important time of the year to consider leftovers. I know many people (including myself) cook extra on purpose in order to have leftovers. I enjoy several post-Thanksgiving meals of turkey, stuffing, corn pudding, green beans, and cranberry sauce...and then inevitably I get bored. I start looking through my cookbooks and favorite blogs looking for creative uses for leftovers.
So this year I decided to make a leftover recipe of my own. The idea is extremely simple. Cranberry sauce, when homemade and made well, can serve as excellent and intriguing ingredient in desserts. Although I have never tried it, I'm guessing it would make a good pie filing. I know that cranberry sauce makes a good topping for pies and ice creams. This year I'm going one step further and using it as an ingredient in an ice cream shake. Enjoy!
Cranberry Sauce Shake
Makes 2 shakes
Below you will find my favorite recipe for cranberry sauce that is sweet and spicy, but feel free to use your favorite recipe in this shake. I would strongly warn against using canned cranberry sauce - it's just not good.
1 pint (16 ounces) vanilla bean ice cream
2/3 cup cranberry sauce
8 to 12 Tablespoons whole milk
Combine all three ingredients in a blender and blend until well combined. Pour into your favorite glass, add a straw and serve.
Cranberry Sauce
Slightly adapted from recipe found in Cooking Light, November 2008
Makes 3 cups
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
12 ounces fresh or frozen whole cranberries
1 Tablespoon orange zest
Combine first 6 ingredients (sugar through cranberries) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook 12 minutes or until cranberries pop. Remove from heat and stir in zest. Cool completely. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Cranberries, Vanilla bean, cranberry sauce, ice cream, shake | in Fruit, Holidays, Ice Cream 
Reader Comments (3)
That shake look awesome! I really cannot wait to try that. I love cranberries in so many different things so I'm super curious to try this out :D I never liked them before and now it seems like everything I try them in I love. Your cranberry sauce sounds delicious too, with the orange flavor and spices, yummy!
Mmm, definitely a perfect way to use up leftovers! It looks refreshing so although not healthy, I feel like it may be a welcome relief to some of the heavier leftovers :)
Love this recipe! Will be linking back to this in my upcoming post :)
Maura - Thanks! The recipe is delicious, and SO easy. Enjoy! - Lindsay