Cranberry Orange Cups

Aimee HerringAfter watching the video, make Lauren's Cranberry Orange Cups recipe.

In the Pantry Challenge video series, Lauren Braun Costello -- chef, author and food stylist -- shows busy moms how to make meals using ingredients they already have in their pantries, solving their unique cooking challenges. In this episode, Lauren shows Peggy S., a mother of four and a registered nurse, a twist on a classic Thanksgiving side dish -- cranberry orange cups.

Lauren begins by showing Peggy how to make the orange cups that will hold the cranberry sauce. Using a paring knife, she makes "teeth" around the circumference of the orange, then gives the fruit a twist to separate the two halves. Next, Lauren trims the bottom to make them level, being careful not to cut too deep and make a hole in the peel. She juices half of the orange halves, and cuts the flesh from the others using a grapefruit knife. She cuts the flesh into small chunks with a paring knife, then cleans out cups -- you want a nice clean orange half for the sauce. To get the pulp out, she uses a paring knife and (always the best tool) her fingers.

Next up, the cranberry sauce. To put this easy sauce together, she begins by pouring the orange juice into a saucepan and adding sugar. Lauren brings this mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then adds the cranberries and the chopped orange. When the cranberries start to pop, she lowers the heat and lets the sauce simmer -- the cranberries will break down and the sugars will start to thicken the sauce. The last step is the Jell-o. Simply add a package of orange Jell-o to the sauce, and spoon the sauce into the cups. (Don't overfill the cups!) Once they set in the refrigerator, you'll have beautiful -- and unique -- holiday side dishes.

Get Lauren's Cranberry Orange Cups recipe.