Got a pesky mother-in-law coming for dinner, or maybe an always-hostile ex over for the holidays?  Worry no more.  I made a cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving once that was so good, my sister, who wasn’t speaking to me at the time, felt compelled to actually look my way and mutter “This is incredible!”.  Yep, it was so good she lost herself and just had to speak to me.  It’s spicy and sweet, with regular and brown sugar, and the pièce de résistance?  WINE instead of water.  You’re welcome.

Boozy Cranberry Sauce
adapted from Bon Appetit

• 1 3/4 cups red Zinfandel  (plus 1 glass for the cook  ;-)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 8 whole cloves
• 8 whole allspice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 3×1-inch strip orange peel
• 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

Combine all ingredients except cranberries in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 3/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Strain syrup into large saucepan. Add cranberries to syrup and cook over medium heat until berries burst, about 10 minutes. Cool. Transfer sauce to medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

• Makes about 3 cups.