Well, Thanksgiving is over and it is full steam ahead towards Christmas.  This next month is sure to be filled with, friends, family, gatherings, shopping, good food and just plain craziness.  I love this time of year and all the happiness it can bring to our homes!

Dressed to impress.  These surprisingly easy appetizers will make an impression.  And there is more than meets the eye….not only are they gorgeous, but they are delicious.  The Fillo shells give a nice flaky texture, complimenting the rich and creamy brie cheese.  The fresh cranberry orange sauce is sweet and tangy to compliment the fresh sparkling cranberries on top.  The sparkling cranberries still maintain their true tartness, but are just the right amount of sweet to balance it all out.  There are so many textures and flavors that work in perfect harmony, that you can’t go wrong with this one.

Don’t worry though, because no one has to know how simple these really are.  There really isn’t much to these.  Just a few simple steps and your done.  The hardest part about them is remembering you do need to soak the cranberries in a simple syrup over night.

I just love these sparkling cranberries.  The recipe makes a lot, so you can cut it in half in you are only making a few appetizers.  I think that the cranberries themselves are great to have on hand.  They make great snacks.  My kids and husband couldn’t get enough.  They were just eating them for an afternoon snack.  Also, I am seeing these as decoration.  They make a beautiful {and yummy} garnish to any holiday table.  Really, though everyone needs to make these at least once and enjoy the beauty of their food.

Sparkling Cranberry Cups

Ingredients:

Sparkling Cranberries; recipe below
Mini Fillo Shells
Brie Cheese
Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce
Fresh Mint for Garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Place about 1 teaspoon of Brie in each of the fillo shells.  Bake for 5 minutes or just until the cheese melts and fills the bottom of shell.  Allow to cool slightly.

Place a small spoonful of the cranberry-orange sauce on top of the Brie.  Arrange 3 sparkling cranberries on top with a mint leaf to garnish.

Serve immediately.

Sparkling Cranberries

Ingredients:

2 cups cranberries, picked over
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
More sugar for coating: I do a pure grained organic sugar for the first coating, and then a second toss with regular granulated white sugar. You don’t want a huge grain for that first toss, just something larger than standard sugar.  The standard sugar will then just fill in any empty spots.

Directions:

Place the cranberries in a medium bowl and set aside.

Make a simple syrup by bringing the water and 2 cups sugar just to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Let the syrup cool for a few minutes and then pour it over the cranberries. If the syrup is too hot the cranberries will burst. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, drain the cranberries and toss them with pure grained organic sugar 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 and start clumping. 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.

*Recipe adapted from yummymummykitchen.com