Sugared Cranberries

Day 3 of my “12 Days of Christmas” recipes calls for a quick and easy garnish or snack - Sugared Cranberries.

I like to think of these as nature’s Sour Patch Kids - first they’re sweet, then you get that burst of sour-bitter cranberry. If you’re like me and cranberry sauce is your favorite part of Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner, you’ll love this recipe.

There are endless possibilities of what to do with these sugared cranberries, but here are some of the ways I’ll be incorporating them over the holidays - just to name a few:

• Spice up water/sparkling water with a few

• Garnish a festive, holiday drink with a few skewered or individually dropped in

• Topped on baked goods: cookies, cupcakes, etc.

• Topped in ice cream

• Add onto a charcuterie board

• Tossed with popcorn/kettle corn and white chocolate chips

• Or even eaten by itself as a snack

These also are so insanely easy to make, so let’s get into it:

Sugared Cranberries

• 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup water

• 2 cups granulated sugar

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the water, vanilla, and only 1/2 cup of the sugar to a low boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let this mixture simmer for about 3 minutes to thicken into a syrup. Add in the cranberries and stir to coat each one completely.

On a wire rack set up on top of a sheet pan, spoon the cranberries out evenly using a slotted spoon. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and to an hour max. The cranberries should still be sticky at this point.

In a bowl, add the rest of the sugar and spoon in a few cranberries at a time. Toss evenly to coat each one, and spoon back onto the wire rack. Allow to rest for another 30 minutes to an hour before using.