Warm water and 3/4 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until dissolved, 3–4 minutes.
Remove from heat and let the syrup cool about 10 minutes until warm, not hot.
Stir in cranberries and orange zest. Gently toss to coat every berry.
Let cranberries steep in the warm syrup for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Lift cranberries with a slotted spoon and spread on a rack or parchment. Air-dry 20–30 minutes until tacky.
Roll cranberries in 1 1/4 cups sugar, a handful at a time, until evenly coated.
Set coated cranberries back on the rack and let dry 10 minutes before serving.