It’s DECEMBER. All caps for two reasons: 1) Where did this year go? And 2) It’s December!!!! I can listen to Christmas music all day and sip ho cho all night! And put up twinkly lights! And go through multiple sacks of flour and sugar and maybe a pound or two of butter!
I love the holiday season. Everything just seems extra-cheery and happy and cozy–even the extra tourists and packed stores and cold weather can’t get me down during the too-brief time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. It’s probably because I’m in a month-long sugar high, which usually ends with a resounding crash on January 1, causing me to rebound wildly in the opposite, indulgence-eschewing direction. Why mess with tradition?
Speaking of tradition, Starbucks rolls out their cranberry bliss bars around this time every year. I’m not high on most of Starbucks’ baked goods (they’re mostly too sweet and mediocre, and when it comes to empty calories, don’t want no mediocre), but these bars are a must for me each year, as synonymous with the holidays as those ubiquitous red cups. (My PSL, if you will.*)
It’s not surprising that the bars are delicious: the combination of cranberries and orange is always a winner, and cream cheese frosting is good on everything. Even the presence of white chocolate doesn’t deter me from eating these bars by the dozen (see aforementioned sugar daze).
So, per the famous proverb, I decided to teach myself to fish. There are millions of cranberry bliss bars “copycat” recipes on the Interwebs, but I wanted something that really highlighted that cranberry-orange combo. This one, with zest in both the bars and the frosting, definitely does. The bright citrus, tart cranberries and tangy cream cheese frosting balance the cloying white chocolate nicely. They’re wonderful on a cookie plate, or for shipping to loved ones (I’d freeze them in an airtight container for 1-2 days first) or even for sneaking between breakfast, lunch and dinner, as we did this weekend.
Let’s talk cookies. I’ve got a bunch over here, and all would be perfect for your Christmas cookie baking spree. (Is that a thing for anyone else? Or just me?)
*I hate the PSL with a fiery passion. It tastes like liquid candle, which is my least favorite way to treat pumpkin.
Cranberry Bliss Bars
Adapted slightly from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Makes 1 9-x-13 pan of bars
For the bars:
– 4 ounces (1 stick) butter
– 1-1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
– 2 large eggs
– 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
– 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
For the frosting:
– 1 8-ounce package light cream cheese, softened
– 3/4 cup powdered sugar
– 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
– 4 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
– 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1) Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9-x-13-inch pan with butter.
2) Melt the butter, then stir in the brown sugar until well-mixed. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest.
Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until just combined. Fold in the cranberries and white chocolate chips.
3) Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with some crumbs. Let the bars cool completely in the pan.
4) While the bars bake, make the frosting: use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and orange zest. Scoop in about half of the melted chocolate and mix until fully combined.
5) Spread the frosting onto the cooled bars. Sprinkle with the chopped cranberries and drizzle the remaining white chocolate over the top. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set — the bars are best chilled. Cut into triangles and serve.
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