Similar to Starbucks Cranberry Bliss bars, but orangier! I found a number of online recipes and put together the parts I liked best. Basic recipe mostly comes from here with a few modest changes.
BARS
◦ 1 cup butter ( 2 sticks, very soft)
◦ 2/3 cup brown sugar
◦ 1/3 cup granulated sugar
◦ 3 large eggs
◦ grated zest from 1 orange
◦ 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
◦ 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
◦ 2 tablespoons butter, softened
◦ 3 cups confectioners' sugar
◦ 1-2 or more teaspoons orange juice from zested orange
TOPPING
◦ 1/3 cup craisins
◦ 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 for a glass or dark pan). Prepare a 9x13 by lining it with parchment paper and spray with 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 zest (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 9x13 pan. It does level itself out a little bit while baking. Bake 350 for 24-28 minutes until light brown AT EDGES and a skewer tests clean. Don't overbake or your bars will be dry. Let it cool completely. Using overhanging parchment paper, lift from pan onto rack. I turn it out upside down onto rack, peel off paper, then flip onto big cutting board to frost and cut.
4. FROSTING: Blend cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add orange juice and confectioners sugar and beat until frosting is fluffy and spreadable (adding more orange juice if needed, but remember its easier to add liquid, than to thicken frosting up after adding too much liquid). Spread evenly over COOLED bars.
5. GARNISH: Sprinkle Craisins and white chocolate chips over frosted bars.
6. Allow one hour in frig for the frosting to set before cutting. Cut into 20 large squares (5 cuts by 4 cuts with the knife). Then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles. It has been my experience that triangles have fewer calories than squares. Or not.
BARS
◦ 1 cup butter ( 2 sticks, very soft)
◦ 2/3 cup brown sugar
◦ 1/3 cup granulated sugar
◦ 3 large eggs
◦ grated zest from 1 orange
◦ 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
◦ 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
◦ 2 tablespoons butter, softened
◦ 3 cups confectioners' sugar
◦ 1-2 or more teaspoons orange juice from zested orange
TOPPING
◦ 1/3 cup craisins
◦ 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 for a glass or dark pan). Prepare a 9x13 by lining it with parchment paper and spray with 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 zest (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 9x13 pan. It does level itself out a little bit while baking. Bake 350 for 24-28 minutes until light brown AT EDGES and a skewer tests clean. Don't overbake or your bars will be dry. Let it cool completely. Using overhanging parchment paper, lift from pan onto rack. I turn it out upside down onto rack, peel off paper, then flip onto big cutting board to frost and cut.
4. FROSTING: Blend cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add orange juice and confectioners sugar and beat until frosting is fluffy and spreadable (adding more orange juice if needed, but remember its easier to add liquid, than to thicken frosting up after adding too much liquid). Spread evenly over COOLED bars.
5. GARNISH: Sprinkle Craisins and white chocolate chips over frosted bars.
6. Allow one hour in frig for the frosting to set before cutting. Cut into 20 large squares (5 cuts by 4 cuts with the knife). Then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles. It has been my experience that triangles have fewer calories than squares. Or not.
