Easy Holiday Appetizer Idea: Sweet And Savory Cranberry Bruschetta

Every year it seems the holidays creep up out of nowhere– it’s almost cliché, I know– but this year feels like an outright sneak attack– just me?

As we all finalize our turkey day menu, one of the things that is surely on everyone’s list is appetizers – because is there anything more crowd pleasing than munchie hors d’oeuvre goodness? I think not.

Apps are hands down my favorite course of every holiday get together.

Seriously.

I would trade in my heaping plate of sliced turkey and stuffing to sit down to a dinner table filled with dips and a variety of bite size noshables –(totally ™-ing that, btw!)

But the struggle to switch it up and find new, easy, make-and-take appetizers that will be a crowd pleaser– is REAL!

So because I know the nightmare of the last minute panic that ends in fighting crowds at the grocery store– just to grab the ingredients to your go-to spinach dip… again… I wanted to share this recipe for a great holiday twist on a classic fave.

If you and your peeps love yummy sweet and savory bites, they will gobble this right up (pun totally intended).

I think we can all agree the perfect app should be 4 things: Easy to make, easy to transport, mess free and delish.

This Cranberry Bruschetta is all of those things!

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Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of baguette, cut into ½ inch slices
• 8oz cream cheese, softened
• ¾ cup of orange juice, pulp free
• ¼ cup of water
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 12oz package of fresh cranberries, rinsed and stems removed
• Pint of fresh raspberries
• Fresh basil, torn to garnish

( Makes approx. 24-30 crostini bites )

Instructions:

1. In a large pan, bring water, orange juice and sugar to a boil. Add in cranberries and cinnamon, continue to boil for 5-7 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Once cranberries have all opened, remove from heat and chill covered for three hours. (Sauce will thicken.
2. On each slice of baguette, spread ½ to 1 teaspoon of cream cheese. Layer with ½ teaspoon of cranberry. Top with a raspberry and basil.

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