Sugared Cranberries and Gingerbread House Cake
Welcome back to the 12 Days of Christmas here on IBC. Before we dive into a new week and a new day, I want to thank you for all the love and kind words about my Holiday Home Tour. I cannot express how much your comments (both on the post and social media) mean to me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!!
The 12 Days of Christmas continues with a festive and tasty little treat. I know I’ve been teasing you with it for a week or so, but today I’m finally going to share the details on my Gingerbread House Cake, plus teach you how to make Sugared Cranberries.
Back in October I stumbled across this gingerbread house bundt pan at HomeGoods. (If you don’t have a HomeGoods near you or can’t find the pan in your store, you can also get it here.) After having so much fun with a similar skull cake pan for Halloween, I had to give this a try for Christmas.
That’s exactly what I did.
Using a delicious gingerbread cake recipe packed with seasonal spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and ginger, I got to work baking up a beautiful gingerbread house cake. And because one was not enough, I also purchased this pan and made some smaller houses, thus creating a little gingerbread village.
To keep the look simple, I opted to just add green cream cheese frosting to the trees and dust the entire house with confectioner’s sugar.
To finish off the cake, I tried my hand at making sugared cranberries. I’d seen these sparkly beauties floating around the internet over the past few years and finally had to whip up a batch myself.
Used as a garnish for my gingerbread house cakes, they added a delightful candy-coated touch of red.
Now, if you want my gingerbread cake recipe for these houses, plus a few more details on how I put them together, head on over to the HomeGoods Design Happy blog. Every month I share two posts on their blog, and this Snow-Covered Gingerbread Cake Village is my latest. You can find it here.
Not only are they great for decorating gingerbread houses, but they have other uses around the holidays as well.
To start, they are delicious on their own served in a bowl alongside your holiday cheese board. The sugar coating perfectly complements the tart cranberries, making them a tasty snack. Serve them up with a plate of cheese and pepperoni and you’re in business.
They also make a shimmering addition to your holiday cocktail. I like to slip a few on a wood skewer and set it on top of the glass. As you might expect, the sugar will dissolve when it comes in contact with the cocktail. This method allows them to shine. I think they would look especially wonderful with my Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail or Jingle Juice Holiday Punch!
Beyond those ideas, you can use them to garnish your cookie tray or any seasonal appetizer. Let me show you how easy they are to make!
Here's what you will need:
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
1 (12-ounce bag) fresh cranberries
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the cranberries until they are well coated. Using a colander, drain the liquid from the cranberries. Transfer the cranberries to a wire rack and let dry for at least an hour.
Working in small batches, roll the cranberries in the remaining sugar until they are well coated. Let them dry for at least one hour on a wire rack.
Store the cranberries in a bowl without a lid. Enjoy as a snack within two days or use as decor for up to two weeks.
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Pretty simple, right? It’s easy to see why these little guys make the perfect holiday garnish. Now you’re ready to tackle the holidays with a delicious dessert recipe (that doubles as an adorable and festive village), plus some sparkly cranberries you can use in a variety of ways.
With all that yumminess out of the way, it’s time for today’s 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!
Inspired by my love for all things HomeGoods, today I’m giving away two $100 Gift Cards to HomeGoods. Yes, TWO lucky IBC readers will each win a $100 Gift Card to HomeGoods.
To enter to win, use the entry form below. (Those viewing this on a blog reader may need to visit the actual post by clicking here.)
This giveaway is open to readers in the United States! You must be 18 or older to win. Void where prohibited. This giveaway will end at 11:59 pm ET on Monday, December 12. The winner will be randomly selected, contacted by email, and announced at the top of this post.
This giveaway is not sponsored by HomeGoods.
As always, good luck and Happy Holidays!
IBC’s 12 Days of Christmas fun continues tomorrow! In case you’re just joining us, catch up on the fun by visiting more of the 12 Days of Christmas below.
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS 2016
The post Sugared Cranberries and Gingerbread House Cake appeared first on Inspired by Charm.
