I love the tartness of fresh cranberries.

I also love the comfort of a warm, homemade applesauce.  Cranberries elevate this recipe from lunch box staple to sophisticated seasonal treat.

This two ingredient recipe is as simple as they come, and your home will smell amazing while the flavors come together over the fire.

The color is magnificent, too.

Cranberry Applesauce

Ingredients:

5 medium-sized apples
1 cup fresh cranberries

Method:

Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. You can use any variety of apple, but the harder varieties will take longer to cook.  I often select a few different types from my farmer’s market for the freshest most in-season flavor.  Add to a three quart saucepan with cranberries, and cook uncovered over a very low flame.  Stir occasionally.  If you want a very smooth batch, as I do, the cooking time will be approximately 2-3 hours. Yield: 2 cups.

For best results, serve while still warm.  Store leftovers in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a week – although, it is so good that you won’t be able to resist it for that long.  El Profesor has been known to finish a whole batch over two days.

Other serving ideas:  you could add a spoon-full to hot cereals, smoothies, ice cream or sorbet, or spread over a toasted slice of nutty multi-grain bread.  Mmmm.