Cream of Butternut Squash and Cranberry Soup

Ingredients

• A 12-ounce bag of cranberries (about 3 cups)
• picked over
• 1 cup Ruby Port
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large onion
• chopped
• 2 carrots
• sliced thin
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper plus additional to taste
• 3 pounds butternut squash
• peeled
• seeded
• and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cups chicken broth

Instructions

1. Make the cranberry puree: In a heavy saucepan combine the cranberries, the Port, and the sugar and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the cranberries burst and the mixture starts to thicken.
2. In a food processor puree the mixture and force the puree through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding the solids.
3. The puree keeps, covered and chilled, for 3 days.
4. Make the soup: In a large heavy saucepan cook the onion and the carrots in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, add mace, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper, squash, sweet potatoes, and 4 cups of the broth, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft.
5. In a blender or food processor puree the soup in batches, transferring it as it is pureed to a saucepan, and stir in the remaining 2 cups broth, the additional white pepper, and salt to taste.
6. The soup keeps, covered and chilled, for 1 day.
7. To serve the soup: Reheat the cranberry puree and spoon it into a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip.
8. (Alternatively, spoon the puree into a small resealable plastic bag and cut off the tip of one corner.)
9. Reheat the soup, divide it among soup bowls, and pipe about 1 tablespoon of the cranberry puree decoratively onto each serving.