Easy Sugar Frosted Cranberries

'Tis the season for families, traditions, good tidings, yummy desserts, and beautiful decorations. I am in the Christmas spirit, and since all of my decorating and shopping is done, that just means it's time for baking and delivering goodies to my friends and neighbors.

One of my favorite flavors of the season is cranberries. Not only do they look pretty, sparkly, and Christmasy, but they are the perfect combination of sweet and tart, kinda like me ;)

These sugar frosted cranberries are pretty easy to make and they look so pretty as a garnish on cakes, pies, cocktails, and other desserts. I've added these to cookies, muffins, breads, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal and so much more. They are just the perfect finishing touch. They are also great for a easy snack on the go.

Cranberries are easy to come by this time of year so I take full advantage of that. I prefer to use fresh cranberries when ever I can. When frosting them, I think that fresh works the best.

This is such a simple recipe. It take only 3 ingredients to make them. They last about 2 days so when you make them, be ready to use them right away.

Plus you will have about 1 cup of cranberry infused simple syrup when you're done. It is the perfect sweetner for lemonade, cocktails, and other drinks! I put mine in a cute little mason jar for storage.

Here's what you'll need...

Thoroughly wash and sort the cranberries. Discard any that are damaged and soft.

I like to lay them out on a white linen towel to sort them. It also makes it easier to see any stems that may not have come off during the washing process.

Add the water and sugar to a pan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Let it cool slightly and add cranberries to the syrup. Do not add berries to hot or boiling liquid, they might burst.

Let them soak several hours or preferably overnight.

With a slotted spoon, place the cranberries on a wire rack that has wax paper or tin foil underneath it to catch the drips.

 Let them drain about an hour until they are sticky. Reserve the cranberry infused simple syrup.

 After about a hour they are shiny, sticky, and ready to be dunked in the sugar.

Take a few at a time and roll them into some of the sugar. Don't dump a bunch in at the same time or you will have a big clumpy mess. Trust me on this one ;)

Transfer the coated cranberries to a wire rack and let them dry for about an hour. They will feel firm and crusty when they are ready.

Store uncovered for up to 2 days. If you cover them, the sugar starts to get moist and the cranberries will loose their coating. No bueno.

These are such a pretty garnish for the holidays. They just make your food pop with a pretty frosty red color.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz fresh cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar (for syrup)
• 3/4 cup sugar (for coating)

Directions:

1. Thoroughly wash and sort the cranberries. Discard any that are damaged and soft.
2. I like to lay them out on a white linen towel to sort them. It also makes it easier to see any stems that may not have came off during the washing process.
3. Add the water and sugar to a pan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Let it cool slightly and add cranberries to the syrup.
4. Let the cranberries soak several hours or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
5. With a slotted spoon, place the cranberries on a wire rack that has wax paper or tin foil underneath it to catch the drips.
6. Let them drain about an hour until they are sticky. Reserve the cranberry infused simple syrup.
7. After about a hour they are shiny, sticky, and ready to be dunked in the sugar.
8. Take a few at a time and roll them into some of the sugar. Don't dump a bunch in at the same time or you will have a big clumpy mess.
9. Transfer the coated cranberries to a wire rack and let them dry for about an hour. They will feel firm and crusty when they are done.
10. Store uncovered for up to 2 days. if you cover them the sugar starts to get moist and the cranberries will loose their coating.
11. Garnish your favorite desserts or just snack away!

Thank you so much for stopping by. If you want to check out the recipe for that pretty cranberry orange cake that these little babies adorned, click here.

Have a sweet and happy day <3