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Test Kitchen Approved

Sparkling New Year's Bites

Time: 9 hours 15 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

About

You can see these incredible snack treats from a mile away; they shine like diamonds in the sun and taste even better than they look! Sparkling New Year's Bites are humble water crackers holding up a mountain of flavor — creamy brie cheese and a sweet-tart cranberry chutney. But it's the homemade candied cranberries on top that really makes Sparkling New Year's Bites so eye-catching and so delightful to snack on! These right here are how you get a good start to the new year!

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 16 water crackers
  • 1 (8-ounce) package brie cheese, sliced into 16 even slices
  • 1/2 cup cranberry chutney or cranberry relish, store-bought or homemade
  • fresh mint leaves, optional, to taste, for garnish

Directions

Step 1 -In a medium bowl, add the rinsed cranberries.

Step 2 -In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the maple syrup and heat it until just warm.

Step 3 -Pour the warm syrup over the cranberries and gently stir them with a spoon until all of the berries are coated.

Step 4 -Allow the cranberry mixture to cool slightly.

Step 5 -Cover the bowl and refrigerate the cranberry mixture for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.

Step 6 -Drain the cranberry mixture.

Step 7 -In a large bowl or baking dish, add the granulated sugar and spread it out evenly.

Step 8 -In 2 even batches, add the cranberries to the granulated sugar and roll them around until all of the berries are lightly coated.

Step 9 -Transfer the sugar-coated cranberries to a baking dish and let them dry at room temperature for 1 hour.

Step 10 -Top each of the water crackers with 1 slice of the brie, an even amount of the cranberry chutney, and 2-3 of the sugared cranberries.

Step 11 -Serve garnished with the mint.

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