Cranberry Jalapeno Cheese Spread

CRANBERRY JALAPENO CHEESE SPREAD

From Taste of Home

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 20 min

Yield: 2 cups

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

4 teaspoons chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder (MAY substitute cinnamon, but I promise this spice is worth the purchase if you don’t already have it)

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese

1. In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice, jalapeno, lemon juice and Chinese five spice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Cool completely.

2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and flufffy. Once the cranberry mixture is cooled, stir it into the cream cheese.

3. Refrigerate until serving.