Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Ingredients

• 6 oz. fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 jalapeño, optional
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 box crackers
• 1 apple, for serving

Directions

1. Wash the cranberries, then put them in a small sauce pot with the sugar, water, and salt. If you’re adding the jalapeño, cut off the stem, halve it lengthwise, and scrape away the seeds, unless you want more heat. Finely chop the pepper and add it to the pot.
2. Stir everything together, cover the pot, and set it over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.
3. When it boils, stir well, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer it uncovered for 5 minutes.
4. Once it has simmered for 5 minutes, the cranberries should be split and the mixture should look thick and saucy. Take the pot off the heat and move the sauce to the refrigerator so it can cool.
5. Set the cream cheese on a small plate or in a shallow bowl. Press the back of a spoon down the middle of the block to make a little channel for the topping.
6. Spoon the chilled cranberry sauce over the cream cheese, scatter the sliced green onion on top, and serve with crackers and apple slices.