10 ways with cranberry sauce

1. Ice-cream sauce
Soak raisins and chopped dried apricots in rum or brandy for a half-hour. Add to cranberry sauce. Heat and drizzle over ice cream or frozen yogourt.

2. Festive burgers
Season sauce with Worcestershire, chopped garlic and basil or sage. Yummy over pork or turkey burgers.

3. Cheddar bites
Top a cocktail bread square with a slice of nippy cheddar. Spoon on a little cranberry sauce mixed with sliced green onion.

4. Zesty chutney
Stir cranberry sauce with chutney to give an added layer of flavour. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Fabulous with pork.

5. Brie topper
Finely chop candied ginger and stir into sauce. Spoon atop a big wedge of warm brie.

6. Holiday tarts
Partially fill frozen mini-tart shells with crumbled blue cheese or a flavourful grated cheese. Bake as directed. Top with sauce. Sprinkle with chopped fresh mint or parsley, if you like.

7. Spiced pear
Mix in generous pinches of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Fill the centres of cored pear or apple halves and bake for about a half-hour at 350F (180C).

8. Kebab dip
Simmer with a little curry paste. Excellent as a dipping sauce for kebabs.

9. Three-fruit sauce
Stir coarsely chopped clementines and finely chopped apple or pear into sauce. Does wonders for rotisserie chicken or pork chops.

10. Cocktail sauce
Add dashes of Tabasco and a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar. Heat frozen meatballs and coat with sauce.