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Cranberry Jalapeno Dip (Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip) Layered the American Holiday Way

Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

Raw cranberries pulsed with jalapeño, scallion and cilantro, macerated in sugar and lemon until the tartness softens, then drained hard and spooned over whipped cream cheese. Nothing is cooked, so the relish stays bright and snappy instead of jammy. Sweet, tart, faintly hot and cool all at once, it disappears faster than any other appetizer on the table.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 12 People
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 165
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz fresh cranberries or frozen, thawed and patted dry
  • 2 jalapeño peppers seeded, ribs removed, roughly chopped
  • 4 green onions trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 0.33 cup fresh cilantro loosely packed leaves and tender stems
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 16 oz cream cheese full fat, fully softened to room temperature
  • 0.25 cup sour cream room temperature

Equipment

  • 1 Food processor pulse function
  • 1 fine mesh strainer for draining the relish
  • 1 Mixing bowl
  • 1 Electric mixer hand or stand
  • 1 11x7 inch shallow serving dish or similar
  • 1 Rubber spatula

Method
 

  1. Pick over the cranberries and discard any soft or shriveled ones. Rinse and drain well.
  2. Put the cranberries, jalapeño, green onions and cilantro in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts, 12 to 15 times, scraping down the sides once, until everything is finely chopped and confetti-like. Stop while you can still see individual pieces of berry. Do not let it turn into a puree or the color will go dull and the texture watery.
  3. Scrape the mixture into a bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice and salt and stir until the sugar is evenly distributed and starts to dissolve.
  4. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. The sugar and acid will draw out a lot of juice and soften the raw berries, taking the bitter edge off them.
  5. About 1 hour before serving, set the cream cheese and sour cream on the counter if they are not already at room temperature. Cold cream cheese will stay lumpy no matter how long you beat it.
  6. Tip the chilled relish into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and let it drain 10 minutes, pressing gently with a spatula to push out the liquid. Discard or save the ruby syrup for drinks. This step is what keeps the finished dip thick instead of pink and runny.
  7. Beat the cream cheese and sour cream with an electric mixer on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl, until fluffy, pale and completely smooth.
  8. Spread the whipped cream cheese in an even layer across the bottom of an 11x7 inch shallow dish, smoothing the top with a spatula.
  9. Spoon the drained relish evenly over the cream cheese, right up to the edges, leaving the two layers distinct rather than swirling them together.
  10. Cover and chill 20 to 30 minutes to set, then serve cold with crackers or crostini. Keeps 3 days covered in the refrigerator, though the layers soften after the first day.

Notes

  • Serve with buttery crackers, Triscuits, bagel chips, toasted baguette crostini or cucumber and bell pepper sticks.
  • Draining the macerated relish is not optional. Unstrained juice turns the cream cheese watery and bleeds pink within an hour.
  • Do not puree the cranberries. Pulse only until finely chopped or you lose both color and texture.
  • Cream cheese must be fully at room temperature, about 1 hour on the counter, or it will never whip smooth.
  • For more heat, leave a few jalapeño ribs in or add half a seeded serrano. For less, use only one pepper.
  • The relish can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Drain it just before assembling.
  • Frozen cranberries work well. Thaw completely and pat dry before chopping.