Spicy Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is typically served with turkey at Christmas or Thanksgiving. It can also be a good accompaniment to nutloaf for a vegetarian Christmas.

Ingredients

 * 4 cups of frozen cranberries
 * water (approx 2 cups)
 * ½ cup of apple and cranberry juice
 * 1½ cups of sugar
 * cinnamon
 * nutmeg
 * allspice
 * star anise
 * cloves

Directions

 * 1) Dissolve 1 cup of sugar in boiling water
 * 2) Add 2 star anise and 4 cloves in a spice bag or tea strainer
 * 3) Add the cranberries
 * 4) Return to a boil and then reduce to a simmer
 * 5) Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice
 * 6) Taste and add more spices and sugar if needed
 * 7) Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the cranberries have burst and softened. You may need to add more boiling water to keep it from getting too thick.
 * 8) Check on the level of spices and sugar again.
 * 9) Chill in a refrigerator. The sauce will thicken when it cools.