This is my favorite new holiday recipe! I think these cranberries are incredible. They’re both sweet and tart. They have a nice crunchy sugar coating and once you break through it you get surprised with a splash of very tart cranberry juice.  I served them on Christmas Eve.  I made them to sprinkle around my cheese platter, and I did that, but I had a bunch of them left in a bowl (see photo above), and they ended up on the table with the hors d’oeuvres.   I didn’t intend to serve them like that, but by the end of the evening, the bowl was empty.  I guess the guests liked them.

This recipe is ideally started the day before you plan to eat the cranberries.   The directions tell you to soak the cranberries in a sugar solution overnight.  The directions also specify that you dredge the soaked berries in sugar, then wait an hour and dredge them again.  Being the last-minute kind of person that I am, I started them the morning I needed them, Christmas Eve morning.  I let the berries soak for 6 hours or so – then I dredged them in the sugar.    I didn’t wait an hour between dredgings either.   I rolled the cranberries in some organic sugar, which had granules that were slightly larger than the regular white sugar I rolled them in next.    I then let them sit for an hour or so to dry while we went to church, and they were perfect!

Sparkling Cranberries
Recipe from 101 Cookbooks

2 cups cranberries, picked over
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
Sugar for coating – I used organic sugar for the first coat, then regular granulated sugar for the second coat

Place the cranberries in a medium glass bowl and set aside.

Make a simple syrup by bringing the water and sugar just to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Let the syrup cool for a couple minutes and then pour it over the cranberries. If the syrup is too hot the cranberries will burst, so be careful. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, drain the cranberries and toss them with larger grained sugar (I used organic sugar for this) until they are well coated. I only use a scoop of sugar at a time, and small batches of cranberries, so the sugar doesn’t get too damp. Place the coated cranberries on a baking sheet to dry for a few hours.

Do a second toss with the regular granulated sugar, this typically takes care of any sticky spots on the cranberries. Let dry another hour.

Yield: 2 cups of cranberries

One year ago: Pressure Cooker Chicken Picatta
Two years ago: Pomegranate Berry Smoothie
Three years ago: Smoked Tuna Dip
Four years ago: Curried Rice and Quinoa Salad
Five years ago: Maple-Braised Pork Chops