Cranberry Pepper Jelly Snacks

I've often admired the little jars of interesting jellies in Whole Foods and in country stores, but shy away from them because I'm afraid to spend $9 only to have jar of apricot blueberry jelly go to waste in my fridge when I have no idea what to do with it. But a couple weeks ago, feeling a little frivilous as the autumn air was going to my head, I decided to splurge on a jar of cranberry pepper jelly. And, believe it or not, I've already used up the whole thing! I got into a routine of making little cheese and cracker snacks that are quite tasty. My favorite combo is whole grain crackers, with a smear of the jelly and a piece of cheddar cheese on top. But, it works quite well with goat cheese too. I got so excited by this that I also bought a jar of apple pepper jelly, but we haven't enjoyed that quite as much, and I'm not sure of it's fate. I will probably use some more of it, but not with the same fervor as the cranberry.

I also took to using it as a condiment on my Tofurky sandwich wraps and it was a nice addition. I'm thinking that it could be incorporated into a cheese and cracker appetizer at a party by taking a log of soft cheese and pouring some of the jelly over it, so guests could spread it onto crackers. It reminded me that several years ago, I used to do something similar, but made my own jelly concoction by mixing marmalade with pepper relish. Anyway, if you like cheese and crackers, you should definitely try it!