Best Cranberry Cream Cheese Spread

Queue the holiday music and ugly Christmas sweaters—holiday party season is about to begin. In my opinion, a good party is all about the tabletop spreads. Our cranberry whipped feta dip rocked the Internet last year, so we’re coming back with a cranberry-topped whipped cream cheese spread—it’s so luxurious, it’s almost sinful. There are two easy parts to make this dip pop: the tangy sweet cranberry sauce finished with brandy, and a lemony whipped cream cheese layer. Here are a few tips to consider while making it.

• Fresh or frozen cranberries: I used both frozen and fresh cranberries while testing, and they both work interchangeably. I found the fresh cranberries broke down a little more than frozen, so it depends on whether or not you’re looking for more or less texture in your sauce.
• Cream cheese temperature: Make sure the cream cheese is chilled and softened but not super cold. It should be somewhat pliable when whipping to avoid lumps; this will ensure the mixture is light and airy. A little heavy cream will loosen the mixture if it’s too thick.
• The lemon zest: I found that the salty creamy cream cheese layer needed a little more. If you get a bite of cream cheese on a cracker, it shouldn’t be one dimensional. Adding a touch of lemon zest makes it more palatable.

Storage:
Store the cream cheese spread with or without the cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!