Mulled-Cider Cranberry Sauce

This year, I'm making a slightly different cranberry sauce for the holidays. Yummy!

Ingredients

• 12 oz. fresh cranberries
• 1 TBS finely grated orange zest
• 1 1/2 c apple cider
• 1/3 c packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1 firm apple (I use McIntosh, but Roma would work well too), peeled, cored, and finely diced

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in a medium size heavy saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until cranberries soften and pop and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.  
2. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  The sauce will thicken more as it chills.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Easter Eggs

These are yummy and creamy, and they look lovely on Easter morning! This is really fun to do with kids too, just be forewarned that it's messy. If you can'

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. confectioners sugar
• 1/4 lb. butter, softened
• 1 (8) oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 12 oz. creamy peanut butter
• 1 lb. flaked coconut
• 4 c. chocolate chips
• 2 TBS shortening

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract. Divide the batter in half and place each half of the batter in a bowl on its own. Stir the peanut butter into one of the bowls and coconut into the second.
2. Using your hands, mold the dough into egg-shaped balls and arrange the forms on cookie sheets. Place the eggs in the freezer until frozen.
3. Once the eggs have frozen, melt the chocolate and shortening in the top of a double boiler. Dip the eggs into the chocolate until coated. Place the eggs on wax paper lined cookie sheets and return to the freezer to harden. After the chocolate has hardened the eggs can be kept in the refrigerator.

**you can dip the eggs in sprinkles and such after you dip them in the chocolate to decorate them.