Cranberry-Orange Salad Mold

This cranberry salad mold is a Thanksgiving and Christmas classic with more depth than your standard Jell-O salad. The combination of lemon gelatin, fresh orange puree, dry red wine, and cranberry sauce creates layers of tart, fruity, and slightly boozy flavor.

Pureeing the orange with its grated peel is what sets this apart from most molded salads. The peel adds bright citrus oil and a faint bitterness that balances the sweet cranberry sauce. Don’t skip grating the peel before sectioning.

The red wine replaces some of the water you’d normally use, adding body and a deeper, more complex flavor. It won’t taste boozy after setting, just richer.

Kitchen Tips

• Stir the gelatin until every granule dissolves. Undissolved bits create rubbery pockets in the finished mold.
• Let the mixture cool slightly before adding the cranberry sauce. If it’s too hot, the cranberry breaks down completely and you lose the chunky texture.
• Lightly oil the molds or spray with cooking spray. To unmold, dip briefly in warm water and invert onto the plate.
• Four hours is the minimum chill time, but overnight gives the firmest, cleanest slices.

Variations

• Use cranberry juice instead of red wine for an alcohol-free version.
• Fold in chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch.
• Swap the lemon gelatin for orange-flavored gelatin to double down on the citrus.