cranberries Archives | The Good Hearted Woman

Warm spices pair perfectly with crisp cranberry vodka to create this festive, refreshing Spiced Cranberry Mule.

From Mr B’s Man Cave

The house is decorated, the tree is up, the gifts are wrapped, and the Christmas music is playing. Now all that’s left to do is kick back in the big chair with Renée and watch my favorite holiday movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Yep – life is good.

And it’s even better when you have a delicious adult beverage to enjoy in the process. I’m loving these Spiced Cranberry Mules, a combination that Renée and I stirred up while we were experimenting with her Spiced Simple Syrup. Warm spices like ginger and cinnamon pair perfectly with crisp cranberry vodka to create a festive and truly refreshing holiday treat.

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One of the reasons I love a good mule – besides the obvious fact that they are delicious – is that I get to use our Moscow Mule Mugs and not just because they make for a great presentation either.

There are a couple of bonafide benefits to drinking your mule from a good copper mug. Not only do copper mugs keep drinks colder, but the copper seems to enhance to the flavor of the drinks as well. The difference isn’t something you can really put your finger on per-say, but in my experience the copper mugs seem to complement and heighten the flavors of the ginger and vodka, as well as whatever else you add.

If you are the kind of person who can perceive the subtle differences between drinking soda or beer from a glass bottle versus aluminum can, you will likely notice a similar difference when you drink a mule in a copper mug. Drinking from copper vessels may also carry some impressive health benefits too, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties.

If you don’t have your own mule mugs, consider making this the year that you give yourself a set.

The mugs Renée and I have are very well-made of hammered solid copper, and have a nice, heavy feel in your hand. My only advice is that if you are going to get yourself some, don’t go cheap! Quality makes a big difference when it comes to mule mugs. Plus, if you get good ones, they’ll last forever.

Spiced Cranberry Mule

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Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

2 large mint leaves
2 oz. Cranberry Vodka
2 oz. Spiced Simple Syrup
6 oz. "Craft" Ginger Ale**
Garnish: Sugar & Spice Cranberries & Fresh Mint Leaves

Instructions

Muddle two large mint leaves int he bottom of a Moscow Mule mug or tumbler.
Fill mug with ice. Pour in vodka, spiced simple syrup, and ginger ale. Stir gently.
Garnish with Sugar & Spice Cranberries and mint leaves.

Notes

We like to use spearmint leaves for this.

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Renée’s Spiced Simple Syrup is a key ingredient in this cocktail. You can use a plain simple syrup if you have to, but the spiced syrup really does bring a special kick to this mule. If at all possible, set aside the extra five or ten extra minutes it takes to cook some up. One batch should last you all holiday season.

Spiced Simple Syrup

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Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
3-4 slices fresh ginger
4-5 cinnamon sticks
3 whole star anise
15 whole allspice

Instructions

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, star anise, and heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil and allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely.
Using a slotted spoon, remove spices from liquid and pour into bottle or jar. Mixture can be refrigerated for at least two weeks.

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Mowcow Mule Mugs

Sugar & Spice Cranberries are a tart, sweet treat – made with a deliciously spiced simple syrup.

The older I get, the more I come to appreciate the simple things, and at no time of the year do I feel this more intensely than during the holiday season. Call me boring (and some of you will!) but one of my favorite things to do this time of year is curl up with my sweetheart in our big, comfy chair and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Not because I love the movie so much – honestly it isn’t my favorite. But it is his favorite.

To see the man I fell in love with three decades and more ago still tear up when George Bailey stands on those stairs, the whole town gathered around, and that little bell on the Christmas tree rings – that singular moment is the reason I love it.

It is in that moment when Jimmy Stewart, standing there on the stairs holding Juju and her petals, manages across seven decades to communicate to us on a level so deep that the first recognition comes not in cerebral cognizance, but through the base reactions of our own bodies. Our eyes well and our cheeks flush and our hearts grow – and we know to our marrow that life really is wonderful.

And then, inevitably, a single heavy tear falls down my sweetheart’s face, and he pulls me close and looks into me with wide-open eyes and wraps my soul in his smile.

That. That right there. I would watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” a thousand times from beginning to end for that.

Believe me; I didn’t intend to go this direction at all when I started typing, but here I am. And now, here you are reading it. I guess that’s the thing about being your own editor: sometimes you keep the sentences [even the ridiculously long fragments] you love – not because they are particularly good, but simply because you love what they mean to you.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program….

This post grew from the need to make a Spiced Simple Syrup for an amazing Spiced Cranberry Mule that Mr B will be sharing in an upcoming post. I started thinking about garnishes for his latest concoction and remembered seeing a recipe for Sugared Cranberries that I’d always wanted to try. Then, as usual, I decided to take it a step further, and Voilà! Sugar & Spice Cranberries!

Sugar & Spice Cranberries are a tart, sweet treat, made with a deliciously spiced simple syrup; perfect for holiday snacking, creating beautiful garnishes, or decking out everything from salads to desserts.

Sugar & Spice Cranberries

Prep Time5 mins

Total Time5 mins

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Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1/4 cup Spiced Simple Syrup Recipe Below
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Line a baking pan with a silicone mat, aluminum foil or plastic wrap and set a wire cooling rack on top.
In a small bowl, toss one cup of cranberries in ¼ cup of the spiced simple syrup. Remove with slotted spoon and place on wire rack. Let cranberries set on the wire rack for at least an hour.
Place the granulated sugar in a medium bowl or Ziploc bag, and toss the sticky cranberries until well coated. Refrigerate prepared cranberries for at least an hour before using. Cranberries can be refrigerated for up to a week.

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Spiced Simple Syrup

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
3-4 slices fresh ginger
4-5 cinnamon sticks
3 whole star anise
15 whole allspice

Instructions

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, star anise, and heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil and allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely.
Using a slotted spoon, remove spices from liquid and pour into bottle or jar. Mixture can be refrigerated for at least two weeks.

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

You should probably make a batch this weekend – you may be needing a little Spiced Simple Syrup and some Sugar & Spice Cranberries sooner than you think!