Cookie and I zoomed five hours down I-35 to Oklahoma on Monday. When I left, I was still feeling a little sour about being the only single person at last weekend’s Friendsgiving. Sharing that dark drive through Kansas with just my loyal co-pilot and Jad and Rob from Radiolab was pretty nice, though.

This margarita has been on my mind ever since I saw it in Bon Appetit’s November issue, but I didn’t get around to making it until right before I left town. I couldn’t part with such an irresistible cocktail, so I poured it from its gold-rimmed glasses into a decidedly less glamorous pickle jar and stored it in my trunk. It glows at me like pink kryptonite every time I open my parents’ refrigerator.

The recipe calls for fresh cranberries, which are cooked down into a ruby red jam that lends far more flavor than cranberry juice. Once you’ve made the jam, just shake it up with tequila, fresh orange juice and lime juice. Then strain it into a glass rimmed not only with a blend of salt, sugar and warming spices. You’ll end up with a festive spin on my favorite margarita recipe.

This jam-in-cocktails concept seems promising. Very promising indeed. I can’t wait to try a blueberry jam version next summer. Of course, I substituted agave nectar for the sugar in the jam since agave nectar and tequila are such a natural pair (they both come from the agave plant).

I went ahead and doubled Bon Appetit’s jam component in the recipe below so you’ll have plenty to share with family or friends. Let the holidays begin!

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P.s. I’m trying to be better at social media stuff. Here’s a Thanksgiving facebook round-up, fall recipe pinterest board annnnnd a brand new cooking tips and tricks board.