Cranberry Margarita

5 steps · 1h total

1. 01

   Make Sugar Syrup

   In a saucepan, combine the 1 cup of sugar with the 1 cup of orange juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves.
2. 02

   Simmer Cranberries for Puree

   Add the 16 ounces of cranberries to the saucepan, reserving some whole cranberries for garnish later. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the cranberries are soft and have burst.

   Remove from heat and let the mixture cool completely. Once cool, transfer the cranberries and liquid to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid, and discard the pulp.

3. 03

   Prepare Cranberry Skewers

   While the puree cools, prepare your garnish. Skewer several of the reserved whole cranberries onto 10 skewer sticks, leaving some of the stick exposed at one end. Lightly brush each cranberry skewer with Karo syrup, then sprinkle extra sugar over them, making sure they're well coated.

   Arrange the sugared cranberry skewers on wax paper and place them in the freezer to set for at least 30 minutes, or until the sugar coating is firm.

4. 04

   Mix the Margarita

   For each margarita, combine crushed ice, 1 1/2 ounces of tequila, 1/2 ounce of Grand Marnier, and 2 ounces of the prepared cranberry puree in a cocktail shaker. Shake well until thoroughly chilled.
5. 05

   Serve

   Rim your martini glasses with sugar, if desired. Pour the shaken margarita into the prepared glass. Garnish each drink with a frozen cranberry swizzle stick.