When I got this recipe from a friend years ago, I didn't even bother to write down the name of it; I simply scribbled "Best Dip EVER" across the top of my recipe card. The flavors are bright, bold, sweet, and just a bit spicy—perfect holiday fare. Plus, it's gorgeous with the rich red of the cranberries and bright green spots of cilantro and jalapeño. I swear, I'd wear this dip if I could! Pair it with some homemade crackers (you'll be shocked at how easy they are to make), and enjoy the best dip EVER!
Cranberry Jalapeño Dip
2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1-2 limes juiced
1/4 cup honey
pinch of salt
1 medium red onion
3-4 jalapeño peppers (or 1 cup sliced, pickled jalapeños)
1 bunch cilantro
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
Directions
Place cranberries in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk orange juice, lime juice, honey, and salt until combined. Mince onion, peppers, and cilantro and add to juices. Stir together, then pour over cranberries and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cranberries will absorb the juices and plump with flavor. Before serving, soften cream cheese with a fork and mold into a ball. Pour cranberry mixture all around and garnish with fresh cilantro on top. Serve with crackers.
HINT: For spicier dip, keep jalapeño seeds in the dip. For more mild dip, remove seeds. Pickled jalapeños are less mild, even with the seeds.
Homemade Thin Wheat Crackers
from
smitten kitchen
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus additional for topping
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold is fine, cut into small bits
Directions
In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, paprika and butter in a food processor, pulsing the mixture until the butter is evenly disbursed in the crumbs. Drizzle in 1/4 cup cold water with the machine running; run it until the mixture begins to form a ball.
Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Either lightly grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
Roll your dough out, half at a time, to a large, very,
very thin rectangle-ish shape on a well-floured counter. Thinner than you even think necessary is best. Frequently check to make sure your dough isn’t sticking; if it is, gently scrape a spatula underneath to lift it, then flour the counter again. Using a knife or pastry wheel, cut dough into about 1 1/2-inch squares. Poke crackers all over with a toothpick or pointy end of a thermometer.
Transfer crackers to baking sheets, spacing them only a little as they really don’t spread. Sprinkle with additional table salt. Bake crackers until crisp and bronzed, about 5 to 7 minutes but please keep a close watch on the first batch as thinner crackers will bake faster and thicker ones will take longer.
Cool in baking pans on racks. Crackers will keep in an airtight container officially for a week but ours are in fact two weeks old and still perfect. You can also freeze them in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper for a couple months.
