Simple and stunning cranberry margaritas made with fresh cranberries. This recipe yields 8 small, 4-ounce drinks (or 6 drinks if your glasses are the same size as mine). You will need about 6 medium oranges and 5 medium limes. To get a head start on the drinks, make the cranberry jam up to 5 days in advance.

Fresh Cranberry Margaritas

INGREDIENTS

Cranberry jam

• 1 ½ cup fresh cranberries
• ½ cup light agave nectar or sugar
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 teaspoons orange zest (from 1 to 2 oranges)

Sugar and spice blend

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice

Margarita

• 1 cup (8 ounces) fresh orange juice
• ½ cup (4 ounces) fresh lime juice
• 1 ½ cup (12 ounces) silver/blanco tequila
• optional garnish: 8 star anise

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the jam: In a medium saucepan, bring cranberries, agave (or sugar), orange juice and ½ cup water to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and jammy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the orange zest and set aside to cool.
2. Make the sugar and spice blend: On a small, flat plate, mix together the salt, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves (or allspice).
3. Line the glasses: You will need 8 old fashioned/small cocktail glasses. Rub a wedge of lime along the rim of each glass, then dip it into the sugar and spice blend. Repeat for remaining glasses, then fill each with ice (assuming that you will be serving the cocktails immediately).
4. To make each cocktail individually, combine 1 tablespoon (½ ounce) lime juice, 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) orange juice, 3 tablespoons (1 ½ ounces) tequila and 2 tablespoons cranberry jam in a cocktail shaker. Cover and shake until outside is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into prepared glass and serve with a star anise.

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