I made this for the first time today and I was pretty happy with the result. All the flavours worked really well together. This dish is beautiful, festive and delicious. You can use the candied cranberries to decorate cheese plates, desserts or just serve them as they are. They are a fun addition to any holiday table.
Candied Cranberries:
Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup cranberries
1/4 cup sugar (for the topping)
In a sauce pan on medium heat, dissolve 1/3 cup sugar in 1/2 cup water. Heat until sugar has completely dissolved. Take off the heat and let cool for at least 5 minutes before you add the cranberries. If you add the cranberries while the simple syrup is really hot, the cranberries will split.
While the syrup is cooling, sprinkle some sugar onto a plate.
Put the cranberries into the saucepan with the warm simple syrup. Stir them for a few minutes. This will allow the sweet syrup to penetrate the surface of the tart cranberries.
Remove some of the cranberries with a slotted spoon and gently place them onto the plate covered in sugar. Roll the cranberries around in the sugar by shaking the plate until the cranberries are evenly coated in sugar. Carefully remove the sugar coated cranberries and gently place them on another plate. Repeat this step a few times until all of the cranberries are coated.
Let the candied cranberries set for about an hour and then refrigerate until you are ready to serve them.
Cranberry Sauce:
Remaining simple syrup from the candied cranberries recipe
1 1/2 cups cranberries
1 tsp cherry jam (optional)
1 tbsp cognac or brandy
Heat the remaining simple syrup in the sauce pan on medium heat. Add the cherry jam and dissolve. Add the cranberries and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. You’ll notice that some of the cranberries will split and some will remain whole. That’s okay.
Take the pan off the heat and add the cognac.
Stir for a few more minutes so that the alcohol can cook off. Allow the sauce to cool for at least 5 minutes before you top the cheese with it. The sauce will firm up as it cools.
Happy Holidays!
Enjoy!