Heavenly Cranberry Bars

Posted byhelenspencerpantazisPosted inCookies

This recipe comes from The Junior League of Seattle’s “Celebrate the Rain” cookbook. These are great when you need to serve a lot of people; think bake sale, party, or cookie swap. I always like to make these as the weather cools off and the holidays are around the corner. They are quite rich, so don’t hold back on cutting those squares into triangles.

Lindsay

Bars:

  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups white chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries,coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup grated orange zest

White Chocolate Frosting:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons grated orange zest, divided
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
  • 6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Make Bars: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and 11″x15″ jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet.

Whisk together brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended, then stir in the white chocolate chips. cranberries, pecans, and orange zest.

Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan (it will be quite stiff) and bake until golden brown, about 20 to 22 minutes. Set aside on a wire rack to cool.

Make Frosting: Cream together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, 1 tablespoon of the orange zest, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Spread mixture over the cooled base.

Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons orange zest with the dried cranberries in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture over the frosting.

Melt white chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, or microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.

Drizzle the white chocolate over the bars and let sit until the chocolate is set. Cut the bars into 3-inch squares and then diagonally into triangles.