Lena here from La Petite Coquin-I'm absolutely tickled to be guest blogging at Pearls for Paper today! Enjoying all this fall inspiration is enough to make a girl thirsty, but have no fear-your perfect autumn cocktail is here! I've been waiting for Whole Foods to open up their holiday table so I can get down to the business of ordering my Thanksgiving turkey, and to celebrate that free range bird I thought we could toast with a Cranberry Cobbler, a divine libation with plenty of fall flair!

Cranberry Cobbler serves 6 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries 1 lemon, cut into wedges 1/2 orange, sliced into thin rounds 1 1/2 cups London dry gin 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. off-dry Sherry 6 mint sprigs

Heat 1 cup of simple syrup almost to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Add cranberries and simmer until they just being to burst; let cool.

Place two tablespoons of drained cranberries and 6 tablespoons of cranberry syrup in a large pitched; add lemon wedges and orange slices. Mash fruit, then add gin and Sherry. Let steep for 5 minutes.

Fill rocks glasses with crushed ice. Strain cocktail into medium pitcher, then shake with ice. Strain into prepared glasses, then mound with additional crushed ice.

Notes: While this recipe is a bit more labor intensive that my usual libations, it's well worth the effort. For a non-alcoholic version, skip the gin and sherry and serve the cranberry syrup and muddled fruit with club soda or sparkling cider. Cheers!

Recipe by Jim Meehan, Photograph by Levi Brown for Bon Appetit.