Cranberry Pecan Bars

Oh mahhh gahhhhhhh, it’s finally holiday cookie time!!!!! (Just be glad I didn’t write a song about it this year.) I love everything about this time of year: bundling up in thick sweaters, decorating with twinkly lights and sparkly tinsel, cozying up with warm beverages and a little holiday music, and especially the omnipresent baked goods and chocolates and candy canes and … hey, I need a little “winter padding” to keep me warm, no?*

These cranberry pecan bars, though borne out of a need to create a second easy-to-carry Thanksgiving dessert, are the quintessential holiday cookie. They’re buttery and rich, equal parts tart and sweet, with the sweet crunch of toasted pecans on top and a hint of orange throughout. They even look festive, with their deep garnet color and blonde shortbread crust.

I didn’t chill my crust prior to baking, so my cookies were a bit too crumbly for proper shipping, but if you’re one of those people who can actually follow directions (whoopsies), these should be great for sending to loved ones. (You may want to pack them with some padding.) They require the teeniest bit of effort, but it’s well worth it — my family straight up devoured them, and I don’t even blame them.

If this isn’t quite your cup of tea, I’ve created a little recipe page of holiday treats here, and hope to be adding to it over the next month. Any excuse to eat more cookies, amirite?

*Actually, I don’t need any padding whatsoever, since I’ll be in India for the holidays this year. Yes, I’m super excited; no, I haven’t let the fact that I’ll be in saris stop me from gorging on any sweets in sight.

Cranberry Pecan Bars

– 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

– 1/2 cup granulated sugar

– 2 cups flour

– 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

– 3 cups fresh cranberries

– 2/3 cup orange juice (low- or no-pulp)

– 2 cups sugar (or more, to taste)

– zest of one orange

– 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

1) Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9-x-13 baking pan with tin foil, allowing the edges to overhang. Butter the foil.

2) Make the crust: cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour and salt until the dough just comes together. Dump the dough onto the baking pan and press into an even 1/2-inch layer. Chill the crust for 20 minutes in the fridge, then bake for 15-20 minutes, until very slightly browned. Set aside to cool.

3) In a medium saucepan, add the cranberries, orange juice, sugar and orange zest. Cook on low heat until the berries soften and the mixture becomes jammy, about 40-45 minutes. Add sugar to taste if necessary, depending on the tartness of your berries. (You’ll need to keep a close eye on this, stirring often to make sure the bottom doesn’t stick and burn.) Cool for 5 minutes.

4) Once the berry mixture has cooled slightly, pour it onto the cooled crust and spread it into an even layer. Scatter the chopped pecans over the cranberries. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the pan halfway. Let the bars cool, then slice into squares.