Maple Cranberry Butter

I’ve had trouble keeping my boys out of this butter! They watched intently as I made it on the stove and kept asking when it would be ready. We have enjoyed it on toast and homemade biscuits and bread, and the boys can hardly keep their spoons or fingers out of it. Hopefully there will be some left for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning!

The sweet maple syrup and brown sugar balances out the tart fresh cranberries, and the cinnamon adds a bit of smokiness. I was pleasantly surprised at the addition of vanilla extract. You don’t really taste it, but the butter had a fuller, richer taste with the vanilla. It is easy to make and comes together in about 30 minutes with very little work. The original recipe doesn’t specify type of maple syrup, but Grade B is my choice for cooking because the flavor is richer than Grade A, which is commonly used as table syrup for pancakes and such. Trader Joe’s has their own brand of Grade B maple syrup, and I buy it faithfully.

The recipe makes about 12 ounces of maple cranberry butter, which you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 months and in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.

[Updated February 6, 2009]

Equipment

3-quart saucepan
blender or food processor
glass jar with lid

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce/340 g) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup (120 mil) water
1/2 cup (120 mil) Grade B maple syrup (I get mine at Trader Joe’s.)
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Pour the cranberries into the sauce pan and add the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes. The cranberries should all burst open.

2. Blend the cranberry mixture in a blender until very smooth.

3. Return the pureed cranberries to the sauce pan and add the maple syrup, sugar, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the mixture is thick, about 25 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

5. Cool completely and store in a jar in the refrigerator or freezer. Will keep for up to 2 months in the refrigerator and 3 to 4 months in the freezer.

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Source: adapted from Cooking Light, October 1997