Mock Light Cranberry Bliss Bar

By Hklbrries

Dear Recipe Doctor, I would be deeply grateful if you could invent a light version of Starbuck’s Cranberry Bliss Bar. If you can do this, I would be able to make these at home throughout the year!

Answer: The Cranberry Bliss Bar is definitely one of the tastiest tidbits that the holiday season brings us, if only for a month or two. I did get the chance to taste these this past December so I think I know what our target flavor and texture is. I started out with a light blonde brownie recipe I developed a couple years back using half whole wheat flour, less sugar, and a less fat margarine, and topped it with a light lemon frosting made from lemon curd, less fat margarine and powdered sugar. The dried cranberries and white chocolate chips were stirred into the brownie batter.

If you don’t want to use Sugar Twin’s Brown Sugar to cut the calories from sugar in half, just increase the brown sugar from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup (to cut the calories from sugar by 25%).

Ingredients

• Bar:
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup less fat margarine with plant sterols added like Take Control (around 8 grams of fat per tablespoon)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Granulated Brown Sugar Twin (if you want to reduce the calories from sugar - if not, just use 3/4 cup brown sugar and delete the Sugar Twin)
• 1 large egg (higher omega-3 if available)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• Lemon-Fluffy Frosting:
• 2 tbsp lemon curd (from jar)
• 2 tbsp less-fat margarine (8 g fat per tablespoon)
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from recipedoctor.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9-inch square baking dish with canola cooking spray.

Add whole-wheat flour, white flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a separate bowl. Whisk together well, and set aside.

Melt 1/3 cup less fat margarine in a small nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and Brown Sugar Twin if desired. Cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Let cool for a few minutes.

Add brown sugar mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add in the egg and vanilla, and beat on medium-low speed until well blended. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until all ingredients are just blended. Stir in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes (or until just golden brown around the edges and on top). Let cool

Meanwhile, add lemon curd, margarine and powdered sugar to a small mixing bowl and beat on medium until smooth. Spread on cooled cranberry bars and cut into 12 bars!

Nutrition Information:
Per bar (if using 1/2 cup of brown sugar):
180 calories
3 g protein,
29 g carbohydrates
6.5 g fat
2.1 g saturated fat (2.3 g monounsaturated fat, 2 g polyunsaturated fat, 32% calories from fat)
23 mg cholesterol
1 g fiber
172 mg sodium