Cranberry Margaritas - the Lightship Restaurant

Published in Gourmet magazine, November 1992. From the Lightship Restaurant in Long Beach, Washington. Made with fresh cranberries and apples. If you plan on serving more than 4-6 cranberry margaritas during the upcoming week, just double or triple the cranberry-apple puree and keep it on hand (it keeps for up to one week; just cover and chill).

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• Cranberry-apple puree

• 1⁄2 cup  firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  apple juice, plus
• 1⁄4 cup  apple juice
• 6  ounces fresh cranberries, picked over
• 1  granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced

• Margarita

• 3  cups  ice cubes
• 6  ounces  cuervo  gold tequila (3/4 cup)
• 1 1⁄2 ounces triple sec (3 tablespoons) or 1 1⁄2 ounces Grand Marnier (3 tablespoons)
• 3  ounces  liquid, whiskey-sour mix (6 tablespoons)
• 2  ounces  Rose's lime juice (1/4 cup)

Directions

1. Cranberry-Apple Puree:.
2. In a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar and 1/2 cup apple juice; bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, and add the cranberries. Boil for 1 minute, stirring, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the cranberries burst.
3. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
4. In a food processor or blender, puree the cranberry mixture with the apples and the remaining 1/4 cup apple juice until it is smooth. (Makes 1 1/2 cups; Cover and chill for up to 1 week).
5. Margaritas:.
6. In a blender, puree the ice with the teuila, triple sec, whiskey-sour mix, lime juice, and 1 1/2 cups of the cranberry-apple puree until the mixture is smooth.