Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese Spread. SCHMEAR AWAY!

Oh how I love Cranberries.

And Oh how I love Cream Cheese.

When I have this glory in my refrigerator, I will literally walk around trying to find things to Schmear this on.

I love the word Schmear.  I feel so "New York Deli" when I say it.

I walk down the aisles of my grocery store, looking for anything that would be worthy to have a Schmer of this stuff.

And you probably won't believe me, but as I fell asleep last night, I thought "I wonder what I have in the house that I can Schmear that stuff on for breakfast tomorrow morning".

So sad I know, but these are the things I think of as I drift off to slumber.

Since my beloved Cranberries will soon no longer grace my grocery store produce shelves, I had to quickly make 4 tubs of this stuff.  You know, so I can "Schmear" it on things.

Just think of the possibilities:

* Use it as a spread for your turkey sandwich.

* Schemar it on a freshly toasted Belgium Waffle instead of your normal syrup.

* Bake my recipe for Crazy Delicious Cranberry Bread and spread a Schmear on that

* Oh and those extra thick English Muffins, where all the cranberry cream cheese will fall down into each of the little nooks & crannies.  Oh My.

* Schmear it on your favorite cracker, so pretty for a party.

* Use it for fruit dip.

* Or of course, like the New Yorkers do, Schmear it on a toasted Bagel.

Now hurry and go buy this stuff:

1 (8 ounce) cube cream cheese, room temperature.
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. Fresh Cranberries Chopped up in Blender (about 1 c. fresh cranberies)
Zest of one Orange

Note: If you have Walnuts add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts.  I LOVE walnuts in this but I didn't have any today, which made me really sad.

Grab some fresh cranberries and throw them into a blender.  About 1 cup of fresh, should turn into 1/2 c. chopped, but you might have to throw a few in or take a few out.  Give it a whirl in your blender and see how many whole berries come out to 1/2 c. blended.

Don't blend them so much that they turn into cranberry particles.  It's ok if they are somewhat chunky.

Put your room temperature cream cheese, honey, and chopped cranberries in your Kichen Aid mixer, or in a big bowl. 

Take out your spiffy zester, and zest one orange over the bowl.  Be sure not to zest too far down into the white of the orange rind, cause that stuff is no good.

Isn't orange zest so pretty?

Blend everything up pretty thoroughly.

If you are using nuts, I would now add the nuts, after it has all been blended, and fold in your walnuts at this point.  I sure wish I had some walnuts.

Find a nice little container with a tight fitting lid and place in the refrigerator for several hours.  Over night is best.  It will get the flavors all married together and be so wonderful.

Now, grab something Schmearable and get going.

Just think of all the possibilities. 

Schmear until your little heart's content.