CRANBERRY BARS WITH A TWIST

When my twins were infants, I wanted a cranberry bliss bar SO bad, but did not want to leave the house to get one. I started fiddling around trying to get a version that I could make at home, now I like this version even better! It’s a beautiful addition to any cookie platter at the holiday party.

Tips to get you started:

· White chocolate burns quickly and easily, pay close attention when melting the white chocolate for the drizzle!

· Meyer lemon rind is very waxy and pliable, you can try to zest it with a micro plane, but I find the most effective method is to shave off some of the rind and chop it to a super fine “zest”.

· Any remaining zest can be dried and saved for other cooking projects, like your own lemon pepper herb blend!

· I used the Ghirardelli brand white melting chocolate disks for this version.

Serves: 16 Prep time: 15-20 minutes Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the bars:

1 Cup light brown sugar, packed

4 oz Unsalted butter

1 Large organic egg

1 Cup all-purpose flour

¼ Teaspoon sea salt

1 ½ Teaspoon ground ginger

2 Teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¾ Cup white chocolate morsels

1 Cup dried cranberries

For the topping:

1 Teaspoon Meyer lemon zest

1 Tablespoon Meyer lemon juice

8 oz Cream cheese at room temperature

2 ½ Cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 ½ Teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 Cup dried cranberries

1/2 Cup White melting chocolate disks

Step one: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a microwave safe container or in a pan on the stove. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, place brown sugar, ginger, salt and butter and whip until the mix is well combined and becomes a golden color.

Step two: To the mixed base, add the egg and vanilla and beat thoroughly, about 30 seconds. Slowly add the flour and mix for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber or silicone spatula. Add cranberries and white chocolate morsels and mix to just incorporate.

Step three: Prepare a small jelly roll pan (about 8x8) with parchment paper, leaving enough paper to grab - hanging off the ends. Spray the paper with cooking spray. Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan.

Step four: Bake for 12-18 minutes or until a light golden-brown color has been achieved. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool fully.

Step five: Make the cream cheese topping. Put the cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on medium-high speed for about 1 minute. Then slowly, about a ½ cup at a time, add the powdered sugar to the bowl, mixing between additions. When all the powdered sugar has incorporated, and the mixture looks smooth and fluffy, stop the mixer and set this aside.

Step six: In a microwave safe bowl, melt the white chocolate disks using regular power and 30 second intervals (about 60-90 seconds total), making sure to stir in between intervals. The chocolate will continue to melt a little after microwaving, so removing it when there are a few lumps in a mostly liquid puddle is perfect, just continue stirring until the last lumps melt fully.

Step seven: Spread the cream cheese topping evenly over the cooled bars. Using the ends of parchment, remove the bars from the pan and place them on a cutting board. Cut the bars into squares or triangles about 2x3 or whatever your preference is.

Step eight: Once cut, separate the bars slightly and sprinkle cranberries over the top of the frosted and cut bars. Using a fork, drizzle thin lines of the melted white chocolate over the top of the bars. Chill until ready to consume. The bars keep well if covered and refrigerated for up to a week.

Nutrition information:

Total Calories: 373

Total Fat: 16 g

Cholesterol: 42 mg

Sodium: 100 mg

Total Carbohydrates: 55 g

Sugars: 40 g

Protein: 2 g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.