Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

1. Remove cream cheese from refrigerator and bring to room temperature an hour before making.
2. Rinse and sort cranberries, pulling out soft or shrivled cranberries.
3. Add cranberries to the bowl of a food processor, add chopped green onions (3-4), cilantro (2-3 tablespoons, chopped), jalapenos (1-2 rough chopped). Pulse until desired consistency. You don’t want it pulverized, scrape the sides and the bottom a couple of times.
4. If you don’t have a food processor, you can mix in small batches in a good blender, or you may hand chop as well if desired. A food chopper will also do the job.
5. Pour into a medium bowl and then add, sugar (¼-¾ cups), lime juice (2 tablespoons), orange juice (2-3 tablespoons) and salt (¼ teaspoon). Take a taste and ensure it’s sweet and hot enough for your taste, adjusting the ingredients as needed, but keep in mind it will taste better the longer it sits.
6. Place in a bowl and set in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes, preferably 4-24 hours. This allows the flavors to marry!
7. Strain the liquid from the cranberry jalapeno relish by placing a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and spooning the relish into the sieve.

Serving Option #1 | Costco Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

1. Place the softened cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer or use a hand mixer and whip until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add a few teaspoons of the hot and sweet jalapeno juice if desired. Add the jalapeno cranberry salsa and mix until combined. Serve with your favorite dippers.

Serving Option #2 | Layered Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. If desired, add a teaspoon or two of the candied jalapeno juice. Spread onto a large plate or platter. You want it to be about ½ inch thick.
2. Spoon the salsa/relish evenly over the cream cheese mixture and provide crackers and vegetables for dipping and scooping. I like carrot chips, cucumber slices and celery sticks for those who are low-carb and gluten-free, a Ritz type butter cracker is a great compliment to the spicy sweet dip as well as a gluten-free cracker and pretzel thins.