Holiday Season=Calories Don't Count so indulge in this blissfulness

As promised…

Cranberry Bliss Bars, these are even better than Starbucks’ because you can make them anytime of the year instead of dreading January when they are ripped away from you AND you don’t have to look like the crazy cat lady buying 6 boxes of them all at once.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup grated orange zest

Icing

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 TBSP grated orange zest
2 tsp vanilla

            Preheat oven to 350 degrees, lightly butter an 11x15 inch jelly-roll pan or rimmed baking sheet. (You can use one that looks a little too thin because they’ll come out perfect, I Used a deeper glass dish so they were a bit thicker than I would have liked)

 In large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth.  Whisk in the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended, then stir in the white chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cup chopped cranberries and 1/4 cup orange zest. ( I never measure I just throw it in, put however much you like )  

Spread mixture evenly in the prepared pan (You may need to throw your elbow into it, don’t worry that’s normal!)  and bake until golden brown, about 20 to 22 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside on a wire rack to cool. Depending on your oven this time could vary, so check periodically. My oven took about 30 minutes.

When the bars are cooled thoroughly, prepare the frosting and spread over the baked layer.

Melt the white chocolate, stirring until smooth.  Drizzle the white chocolate over the bars and let stand until set

Cut the bars into 3 inch squares and then diagonally into triangles. 
Makes about 48 bars (depending on how big you cut them )

Icing

In a small bowl cream together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, orange zest, and vanilla with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and fluffy

To sprinkle over the top: In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 2 TBSP orange zest, and 1/2 cup dried cranberries, sprinkle over frosting.

I think I’ve ate my body weight in these, so beware the whole “I’m not going to eat the whole pan” deal won’t work here! Temptation will get ya… 

Cam 

Superwoman-In-Training :)