Cranberry Bliss Bars

By á-5018

Ingredients

• BARS
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks, very soft)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons orange extract or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• FROSTING
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange extract (or vanilla)
• TOPPING
• 1/3 cup craisins, chopped
• 1 -2 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon canola oil

Details

Servings 20

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 for a glass or dark pan). Prepare a 10x15 by lining it with parchment paper or use a non-stick spray.
2 BARS: With an electric mixer, beat together softened butter and sugars 3-5 minutes until light; gently blend in eggs and orange extract (don't overbeat eggs). Add the flour, baking powder, and ginger and beat briefly. Add the cranberries and chips, stirring just until incorporated.
3 Spread thick batter in prepared 10x15 pan. Bake 350 for 20-24 minutes until light brown AT EDGES and a skewer tests clean. Don't overbake or your bars will be dry. Let it cool completely. NOTE: If you use a 9x13 pan, the bars will be thicker and will take 26-28 minutes.
4 FROSTING: Blend cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add orange extract and confectioner�s sugar and beat until frosting is fluffy and spreadable (adding 1 t. milk if needed). Spread evenly over COOLED bars.
5 GARNISH: Use a zester to remove rind from an orange; sprinkle zest over frosted bars. Chop 1/3 cup Craisins coarsely; sprinkle over frosted bars.
6 DRIZZLE: Mix white chocolate and oil in a glass measuring cup. Microwave 1 minute; stir until melted. Use a fork or whisk to drizzle the white chocolate diagonally across the bars.
7 Allow one hour for the white chocolate to set before cutting. **To make signature Starbuck triangles, cut into 20 large squares (5 cuts by 4 cuts with the knife). Then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles.