Treaty Oak Cranberries

Ahead of time, let me apologize for the lack of pictures in this blog post.  To be honest, I got my hands on a bottle of .36 Texas Bourbon Whiskey from Ranger Creek over in San Antonio and was a little preoccupied with trying it while I was cooking the recipe below.  Very well made and similar to the bourbon that we'll be releasing next year alongside our rye whiskey.  Good to see quality products coming from the Texas distilling movement.  

Each year, I try to take one my mother Alice's old school recipes and make it a little more "modern."  She's not always completely patient with me (I thought she was going to strangle me when I made bourbon whipped sweet potatoes with pistachios last year), but she allows me to have some fun.  This year I decided to focus on the cranberry side dish.  My family has long served the tube-molded OceanSpray canned variety - not exactly a showstopper at the dinner table.  

I took this from a recipe over at Cooking Light and made a few of my own changes.  I made this two days ago and sampled yesterday after letting it rest - very, very tasty stuff.

Treaty Oak Cranberries

2 bags of fresh cranberries (about 24 oz)
3/4 cup Round Rock Honey
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 orange zested
a handful of mint leaves
1.5 oz Treaty Oak Rum
splash of Paula's Texas Orange
cooking spray

Mix all ingredients in a lightly sprayed baking pan except for mint, Treaty Oak and Paula's.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes covered, then another 25 minutes uncovered.  Stir in remaining ingredients and let chill for two to three hours before serving.  

This cranberry concoction is a great replacement for the canned version that is so common (and boring).  Plus, you can muddle this mix with a few extra mint leaves, agave nectar and lime juice, then top with Treaty Oak and club soda - and POW the perfect Holiday Mojito.

From all of us at Treaty Oak Distilling, Happy Thanksgiving!


Daniel R. BarnesOwner & Distiller