Foodies and foragers: Frosted Holiday Mix with Twigs

By BRENDA JOSEPHSON

This season, add a festive touch to your holiday gatherings with a slightly sweet mix of cranberries, pecans, and dark chocolate topped with rosemary sprigs.

The holidays are a time for reflection and gratitude. It’s the season to appreciate the blessings of the past year as we look forward to the year ahead with hope and positivity. The joy of spending time with loved ones and creating new memories is the most valuable gift we can share this time of year.

Frosted Holiday Mix with Twigs is a blend of flavors and textures that embodies the essence of the season. A sweet sugar frost delicately balances the tart cranberry flavor. Toasted pecans provide a crunchy texture and salty richness. The addition of dark chocolate pieces completes the flavor profile, creating a harmonious treat. Sugar-frosted rosemary sprigs top the mix, creating an illusion of frozen pine needles reminiscent of a walk in the forest on a winter’s day.

The combination creates a taste sensation that carries symbolic significance in some aspects. In both cuisine and life, harmony occurs when intensity and sweetness combine to achieve balance in bittersweet experiences.

The preparation of the mix is easy, but frosting the cranberries and rosemary requires a significant amount of waiting time to allow the sugar to solidify. Plan to start about four hours before you need the finished mix.

Frosted Holiday Mix with Twigs

Ingredients:

Frosted Cranberries and Rosemary

• 2 cups of fresh cranberries or fresh lingonberries
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 2 cups granulated sugar (separated into 2 portions of 1 cup each as listed below)
• 1 cup water

Toasted Pecans

• 3 cups pecan halves
• 3 tablespoons of butter (melted)
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Dark Chocolate 

• 6 ounces of dark chocolate 65% cocoa or higher (or more or less as desired) 

Prep time: 30 minutes

Total time required: 4 hours

Makes approximately eighteen 1/3-cup servings. 

Preparation:

Frosted Cranberries and Rosemary Sprigs

• Rinse the cranberries and rosemary.
• Separate any spoiled or soft cranberries, retaining only the firmest and freshest ones.
• Cut the rosemary sprigs into smaller pieces to resemble a small pine twig, for use as garnishment.
• Place the water in a small saucepan on low heat and add 1cup of sugar, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved to create a simple syrup. Remove from heat. 
• Ensure that the syrup is warm, but not hot. If the syrup is hot, wait for it to cool down before use. Then pour it over the cranberries and rosemary and soak for 15 minutes.

• After soaking in syrup for 15 minutes use a slotted spoon to place the cranberries and rosemary on a pastry rack or parchment paper for drying. 
• Allow the cranberries and rosemary to rest for 1 hour to allow the sugar to become sticky.

• Note: To reduce food waste, strain the simple syrup and refrigerate it for later use in adult beverages or mocktails. 
• After 1 hour, place 1 cup of sugar in a small bowl and transfer the cranberries and rosemary with a slotted spoon, shaking off any excess syrup.

• Coat the cranberries and rosemary with sugar rolling it to ensure all sides are frosted.
• Transfer the frosted pieces to a clean sheet of parchment to allow the sugar to setup and dry for 1 hour. 
• After allowing time to dry at room temperature, store the cranberries and rosemary in an airtight container and refrigerate. If the cranberries take on moisture during storage, recoat with sugar before serving.

Toasted Pecans

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place pecans on the parchment.
• Pour melted butter over the pecans and toss to coat evenly.

Sprinkle the salt over the pecans and place in the preheated oven for ten minutes.

• Remove from the oven after 10 minutes and gently toss, turning over the pecans.
• Return to the oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until toasted.

Dark Chocolate Pieces

• Use a cutting board and chef’s knife to cut the dark chocolate into small, bite-sized pieces. 

Finally, assemble the sugared cranberries, toasted pecans, and dark chocolate pieces onto a serving dish and garnish with the sugared rosemary sprigs. Enjoy!

For best results, prepare the mix the same day you plan to serve it. 

Brenda Josephson is a Haines resident. She holds degrees in Culinary Arts and Food Business Leadership from The Culinary Institute of America and an MBA with a specialization in Strategic Planning from Herriot-Watt University. She enjoys fishing, foraging, and savoring Alaska’s abundance of natural and wild foods with her family.

Foodies and Foragers: Thanksgiving roasted pumpkin, cranberries, and pecans

Foodies and Foragers: Try this Alaska version of French onion soup, with wild mushrooms and moose

Discover more amazing recipes under The Social tab at Must Read Alaska.