Cranberry Curd

 Found this recipe in a magazine and just had to make it!  So simple - although it's a little time consuming.  It made 3 jelly jars, so what a great gift to share with a friend or hostess!  You could even whip up a batch before thanksgiving and hand out to family members!  It was really quite delicious.  I enjoyed a scoop of it over some Greek yogurt and this morning on toast with a bit of cream cheese.  You could also put it in oatmeal or pour some of it over a pound cake.  Better yet - give a pound cake with the curd to a hostess - what a great dessert treat!  You could also pour some over a brick of cream cheese and serve with apple slices or crackers as an appetizer or serve with some plain cheesecake.

Cranberry Curd

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Cointreau

Instructions:
Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes until cranberries have popped.  Pour into a blender and process until smooth.  Strain through a fine sieve over a medium bowl, you might have to push it down with a large spoon to get all the 'sauce' out.  Discard solids.
In a smaller bowl beat butter and sugars until well combined, then add egg yolks and egg 1 at a time beating well after each addition.  Pour into the cranberry sauce bowl along with cornstarch and salt and mix well. 
Place mixture in the top of a double boiler over simmering water and cook until thermometer registers 160 and mixture thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and let stand about 5 minutes then stir in Cointreau.  Pour into jars or containers and cover.  Refrigerate up to a week.