Orange Cranberry Mascarpone Spread

Trader Joe’s sample stand suckered me in again with their Cranberry bread and orange cranberry spread!  But, looks like the spread is only seasonal, so I had to make up my own.  Here is my recipe for Orange Cranberry Mascarpone Spread!

¼ c. whole cranberries (frozen or fresh)
¼ c. orange juice
½ tsp. orange zest
1/3 c. mascarpone cheese
In a small pan, cook down the cranberries in the orange juice. Make sure your pan is covered so all the liquid doesn’t evaporate. Once the berries burst open, smash them up with the back of a wooden spoon. Let cool. Combine the cranberry sauce, mascarpone cheese and orange zest. You can add more orange juice or mascarpone if needed to have the consistency of whipped cream cheese. Spread on the warm bread and enjoy! (I recommend using Trader Joe's Cranberry Bread mix!)