boozy sparkling cranberries

December 16, 2013 // 16 Comments »

Sparkling Cranberries

Brown sugar and Crown Royal Maple turn traditional candied cranberries into boozy bites of holiday spirit.

I may have had candied cranberries for the first time this year and I may now be completely obsessed. If I indulged in these little bursts of love earlier in life, I was either too young or had consumed one too many mugs of eggnog to remember. First time or not, I was sold. Our holiday party hostess had candied her cranberries with maple syrup and though positively wonderful on their own, they got me dreaming about the bottle of Crown Royal Maple in our pantry. If there are little hands in your house you can just as easily leave out the whiskey in this recipe, but I feel obligated to tell you that cranberries are infinitely more fun when soaked in booze and covered in sparkles.

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BOOZY SPARKLING CRANBERRIES
 
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INGREDIENTS
  • 1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 ounces Crown Royal Maple
  • granulated sugar for coating
PREPARATION
  1. Place brown sugar, water and Crown Royal Maple in a medium saucepan.
  2. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, do not boil.
  3. Remove from heat, stir in cranberries, cover and refrigerate overnight.
  4. Place about a cup of sugar in a large bowl or cake pan.
  5. In small batches, strain excess liquid from cranberries and roll in sugar. Transfer to a baking sheet to dry in a single layer.
  6. After cranberries have dried for about an hour, repeat rolling in sugar to thoroughly coat any remaining liquid. Transfer back to baking sheet to dry for at least another hour.
  7. Once dry, store in an airtight container in a cool location.
  8. Remaining liquid can be bottled and refrigerated as a delicious simple syrup.

 
WHAT TO DO WITH SPARKLING CRANBERRIES
They are versatile enough to be a festive addition to both your cheese and dessert spreads.
Add some holiday cheer to your day by throwing a handful on your morning oatmeal.
Fill decorative glass bowls and scatter around your home for holiday snacking.
Fill  small vases or holiday glassware to use as centerpieces for holiday entertaining.
Festively decorate holiday desserts such as chocolate cake or creme brûlée.
Use as garnish for sparkling water or holiday cocktails.

Sparkling Cranberries

by Kimberly Ann // bake, candy, christmas, fall, thanksgiving, winter
16 Comments »