This Embarrassingly Easy Dish Was The First To Disappear At My Friend's Holiday Party

I wouldn't be honest if I said that I'm not sometimes thankful when I miss out on invitations to holiday parties. I adore my friends, and I want to enjoy time with them. But to be candid, this season can be overwhelming. (I know, I don't have to tell you.) However, there is one thing I do regret not being able to enjoy when I skip parties: the food.

Amid a sea of charcuterie boards, creamy dips, and savory sausage rolls, there is always a surprise delight that I seem to only love this time of year. Melt-Away cookies? Those rarely make an appearance any other month. And the same goes for Puppy Chow and Cocktail Meatballs. Last weekend, however, it was an old-fashioned favorite — and one most people would go so far as to call "retro" — that took me and my friends by surprise at a festive gathering.

While guests were filling their plates with Brie and salami, goat cheese and artichoke dip, we all kept sneaking scoop after scoop of sugared cranberries. Yes, cranberries.

Also known as sparkling cranberries, you'd be forgiven if you thought these were meant only for garnishing drinks or embellishing desserts. (We used them in this beautiful Gingerbread Cake With Cranberry-Vanilla Frosting.) But they're actually the perfect addition to a Christmas charcuterie board or finger food display.

Sugared cranberries stand out for several reasons. First, their color is remarkable. For the same reason you add vegetables to a cheese tray, cranberries add a warm ruby hue, a shade we admit is perfect for holiday displays. They also sparkle, as the light catches the granules of sugar.

Raw cranberries, if you've never had one, burst when you take a bite. They release a tart juice and have a wonderful snap. The sugared exterior balances the tartness of the juice and berry.

Lastly, they're fresh amid so many rich and heavy foods. If you've had just one too many sips of egg nog or all the bubbly cheese dip you can take, clear your palate with a few of these cranberries, and everything will be right in the world again.

Variations on Sugared Cranberries

As is, sugared cranberries are incredibly easy to make, though you will need to plan ahead as the berries soak in maple syrup for several hours (up to 24). Then, once you've drained them, you'll work in batches to toss the berries in sugar. Lastly, you'll let them air dry, helping to set the sugar crust so it doesn't slip off the tiny fruit before guests can enjoy them.

With something that easy, you'd be forgiven if you think you can't improve upon it—but you can. We have a few ideas:

• Use a combination of granulated sugar and sparkling sugar. Sparkling sugar has more shimmer and is, to be honest, prettier. You can find it at baking supply stores or online.
• Toss in herbs or citrus to the maple syrup. Infuse the syrup as it warms with flavors like orange peel and rosemary. Both of these go well with the cranberry flavor.
• Add zest to sugar. If you don't use the peel to flavor the syrup, you can zest the orange and add it to the sugar before the cranberries are tossed in it.
• Flavor the sugar. A few days or weeks before you plan to make the berries, mix the seeds of a vanilla bean into a cup of granulated sugar for easy homemade vanilla sugar. For more intense flavor, blend granulated sugar with vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.
• Replace maple syrup. If you don't like the flavor of maple, you can use a simple syrup instead. And you can infuse a simple syrup with lots of flavors, too.

Other Fun Dishes for a Holiday Party

While you're bringing back some classic foods, don't overlook these favorites. Guests probably haven't had them in a while, which will make for a great conversation starter:

• Party Cheese Ball
• Butter-Baked Saltine Crackers
• Cheese Dreams
• Little Smoked Sausages in Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce