Merry margarita time!

Who doesn’t need a good Christmas margarita?  Or at least a margarita that isn’t strawberry.  Blended.  And the size of a small fishbowl?

Well, maybe we could stick with the fishbowl-sized margaritas.

But I wanted a more seasonally appropriate margarita.  One that I could add to my holiday cocktail repertoire.  And since I’m obviously loving the combination of cranberry and orange (hint: from this recipe and another I have coming your way before these twelve days are up) it seemed totally appropriate to use those flavors in a cocktail.

With tequila.

Because who doesn’t want to be drinking tequila on Christmas?

But first, let’s talk about these sugared cranberries.

Aka: my new favorite candy.

If you’ve never made sugared cranberries before, they only require two ingredients: sugar and cranberries.  Basically, you dip cranberries in a simple syrup so they become tacky and then roll them around in more sugar.  When dry, the sugar granules sparkle and create a crackly crust creating an end result that is absolutely delicious.

A little morsel of sweet and tart that bursts in your mouth.

Aka: the most addicting thing to snack on this holiday season.

I want to put them on everything.  Winter-themed cakes, crackers with slices of brie, holiday-inspired cheese boards, and cocktails.

Like this margarita.

So, on the ninth day of Christmas, I’m sharing with you: cranberry margaritas!!

Sugared Cranberries

• 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries
• 2 c. granulated sugar, divided
• 1 c. water

Add 1 c of sugar and water into a saucepan.  Place on medium high heat and allow sugar to dissolve.  When mixtures begins to boil and gets slightly thick, take saucepan off of heat and let it cool down for about 15-30 minutes.

Add the cranberries to the simple syrup and stir, making sure the cranberries are fully coated.

Scoop the cranberries out in a sieved spoon and allow excess syrup to drip off.  Dump the cranberries into a bowl filled with the remaining 1 c. sugar.  Roll around until they are coated in sugar and place on a tray lined with wax paper to dry completely (about 1 hour).

 

Cranberry Margarita

serves 1, but easily multiplied

• 2 oz. 100% cranberry juice
• 1 1/2 oz. silver tequila
• 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz. lime juice

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, and shake until blended.  Pour into a cocktail glass and serve with sugared cranberries.

The sugared cranberries added to the cocktail will add a touch of sweetness from their sugared crust.

 

 

 

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, folks.