Candied Cranberries (Viral Recipe)

It seems like every year there’s a new cranberry recipe that goes viral and this year’s recipe, candied cranberries, is a winner for sure! Not only are these tasty cranberry snowballs incredibly festive, they’re a feast for the senses. Outside, the crisp coating pops in your mouth, while inside, the soft centers burst with sweet juice. Wow, they’re completely addictive. I served them to a group of friends recently and they were such a hit. After receiving several requests for the recipe, I thought I should share it with you too. Enjoy!

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Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• prosecco or sparkling wine https://amzn.to/4iui3uM

• sparkling cider https://amzn.to/3ZHyxZ4

• pomegranate juice https://amzn.to/3VvyVYi

• confectioners sugar https://amzn.to/4f5Koo5

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3But3r9

• half sheet flat parchment paper https://amzn.to/3ZHyZGK

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Viral Candied Cranberries

makes enough to serve a crowd!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries (dried or frozen will not work)

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups orange juice

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups Prosecco or sparkling wine

• 1 to 2 cups confectioners sugar

Directions

1. Wash cranberries and place in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Combine the orange juice and sparkling wine (or cider) together and pour over fresh cranberries; allow to soak for at least 8 hours, or up to 3 days.

3. When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 200F and place rack in center position.

4. Drain the cranberries and toss with confectioners sugar until thickly coated.

5. Arrange coated berries in a single layer on a parchment-lined half sheet pan, separating berries if stuck together, and bake for 5-7 minutes.

6. Remove berries from oven and allow to cool completely before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days (see notes below).

Notes

• Feel free to change the soaking solution - replace the orange juice with pomegranate juice, or substitute the Prosecco with champagne, sparkling cider, lemon/lime soda, or cream soda… the possibilities are endless.

• To keep the cranberries submerged during the soaking process, use a small plate or small mesh colander to weigh them down.

• If candied cranberries lose their crispness, bake again in a 200F oven for 5 minutes.

Snowman Cheeseball

How cute is this Snowman Cheeseball? Make him the tasty main attraction at your next holiday get-together. Sharp cheddar cheese, crisp bell peppers, a little jalapeño, and garlic are just a few of the yummy reasons why you should give him a try. Happy Holidays!

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Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• my favorite manual cheese shredder https://amzn.to/4iv9AHs

• baby corn on the cob https://amzn.to/4iqN0Qu

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Snowman Cheeseball

makes enough to serve a crowd!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

• 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

• 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded pepper jack cheese

• 1 medium green bell pepper, minced

• 2-3 scallions, minced

• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

• 2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

• garnish: long strips of scallion for the scarf, one regular and one mini cucumber for the hat, 10-12 whole peppercorns for the buttons and face, a small piece of carrot for the nose, a mini corn on the cob (canned) and a wooden toothpick for the pipe, thin pretzel sticks for arms (oops, I forgot to add them), a wooden skewer to hold the snowman together, and additional shredded white cheddar cheese or ground almond meal for coating the cheeseball (optional).

Directions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, white cheddar, pepper jack, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, scallions, worcestershire sauce, and garlic salt. Alternatively, you can combine these ingredients by hand, being sure the mixture is very well combined.

• Divide the mixture into two round portions (1/3 and 2/3) and wrap each tightly with plastic wrap; chill for several hours.

• To assemble and decorate: unwrap chilled cheeseballs and, if desired, roll each in shredded white cheddar cheese or ground almond meal; stack the cheeseballs to resemble a snowman.

• Decorate the snowman’s face with peppercorns, carrot, and corncob pipe; add peppercorn buttons and pretzel arms to the bottom cheeseball (oops, I forgot to add the arms!).

• To make the scarf: microwave long strips of scallion for 10 seconds to soften, then wrap around the snowman’s neck - you may need to tie more than one strip together to make the scarf long enough (see notes below for alternate scarf options).

• To make the hat: stack a 1-inch tall slice of mini cucumber on top of a 1/4-inch tall slice of regular cucumber and place on snowman’s head; insert a wooden skewer down the center of the snowman, starting at the top of the hat and going down through the bottom ball (trim away excess skewer).

• Surround the snowman with crackers and serve at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.

Notes

• Alternative scarf ingredients: thin strips of carrot or cucumber, cut using a vegetable peeler.

• No need to coat the snowman with additional cheese or almond meal, but doing so makes handling the cheeseballs a little less messy.

• Leftover cheeseball mix makes a great filling for jalapeño poppers - check out how to bake them in this post for my Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers.

• Serve this cheeseball recipe anytime of the year by shaping into a large ball and consider coating with your favorite freshly chopped herbs or ground pecans.

• For smaller groups (10 or less), you may want to make only half the recipe.