Cranberry Bliss Bars- I'm Adding These to The Cookie Tray

Even though I have plenty of favorite Christmas recipes, I can't resist trying something new every year.  In fact, I taught a Christmas dessert workshop a few weeks back and tried a whole bunch of new stuff.  It was all good.  But this one turned out to be one of the recipes we liked the best.  I've made it three times since and will probably whip it up one more time before Christmas.  Here's a few reasons why I'm smitten with these bars.  They add something special to a cookie tray. Bar cookies are easier and quicker to make than dropped or rolled cookies.  They taste just like Christmas should taste.   Kenzie loves them!  

 This is a copycat recipe from Starbucks, but I've been told by those who've had both, that the coffee shop version pales in comparison. 

The base of the cookie starts out with yummy ingredients, like real butter, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and powdered ginger.

Please excuse the smudgy photos.  The hazard of having a camera so close to food, I guess.  I didn't realize until we had snapped all these shots that there was a big smear on my lens. 

Once the ingredients are mixed, you end up with a nice spreadable cookie dough.  But first, you gotta add the good stuff.   Like candied ginger (yum),

chopped Craisins and white chocolate.

All of this goes into the cookie dough and is then spread into a 9x13 pan and baked for about 25 minutes.

It looks like this when it comes out of the oven.  

Once the cookie layer cools, you spread a nice cream cheese frosting, with fresh orange zest added (oh, yeah), all over the cookie base.

Sprinkle chopped cranberries (Craisins) on top

and drizzle melted white chocolate over the whole thing.  I used a plastic bag with the end snipped off to drizzle the chocolate.  You just toss the bag in the garbage when you're finished - no clean up!

I like to cut them in triangle shapes.  These are rich, so you can cut them small and get lots of servings.  Don't they look pretty on this platter?  We love those little peanut butter cup cookies too!

I'm pretty excited about this recipe.  Hope you like it.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Cake Base: 2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed

3 eggs

1 t. powdered ginger

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 t. salt

1/4 cup minced dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped white chocolate

1/4 cup minced candied ginger

Frosting: 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 T. butter, softened

1 t. vanilla

1 t. grated orange zest

Drizzle: 2 T. minced dried cranberries

1/3 cup melted white chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 and grease 9x13 pan.

Beat together the butter and sugar and then add

eggs and vanilla, beating until fluffy.  Add flour,

ginger and salt.  Beat well.  Fold in the cranberries,

chocolate chunks and candied ginger.  Spread batter

in pan and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown.

After the cake layer cools, spread with frosting.  Sprinkle

with minced cranberries and drizzle with melted chocolate.

Cut into bars.

* Thanks to Sherri for suggesting this recipe.

Original recipe found here.

Photo credit goes to Dillon.