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Thanks! I was working on some bake-ahead things for Thanksgiving (thank goodness my MIL is hosting this year ... I only have to bring a couple dishes) and made some cherry chocolate chip cookies. Just add 1 c of dried cherries to your favorite choco chip cookie recipe. Cherries are this year's' cranberry. Pomegranate is this year's cranberry, too, i think.

Oooh those cookies sounds great! I adore cherries, too, and pomegranate (yes it does seem to be the new "in" fruit all around the produce section!)

Here's a wonderful sauce for turkey (and cheesecake, LOL) if you're cranberried out:

Pomegranate Sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium Spanish onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 cup port wine
6 cups home-made chicken stock
2 cups pomegranate juice (or substitute cranberry juice)
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and sweat the onion and garlic until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the peppercorns and cook another 3 minutes.

Add the port and cook, stirring, until most of it has evaporated. Add the stock, pomegranate juice, molasses and brown sugar, raise the heat to medium-high, and reduce slowly to a sauce consistency. As the sugars caramelize, the sauce will turn brownish red. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add chives and pomegranate seeds.

(You can find the pom. molasses in the middle eastern food section... OR you can make it yourself:

Pomegranate molasses:
3 c pomegranate juice
1/2 c lemon juice
1/2 c sugar

Combine all ingredients: simmer and reduce until there is 1 c of liquid. (30-45 mins avg). Chill. )

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