Cranberry Bliss Bar wanna be's

I so love those Starbucks cranberry bliss bars and actually indulged when I went to Disneyland and ate an entire bar to myself. Normally I try to split one with my husband. I reasoned that I would be actually walking it all off.

Earlier this year I found this recipe and OMG! they taste like the real thing well IMO a bit better than the real thing so I am adding this recipe to my Christmas baking list. Definitely gift giving worthy.

I made this batch for work but of course keeping a few bars for the home to treat myself and my family with.

And if you love these bars read on because I am including the recipe with this post.

Ingredients

Cookie  Bar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
6 ounces white chocolate, chips or cut into chunks

Frosting

4-ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Drizzled Icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Make base by beating butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger, and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in flour until smooth. Mix 3/4 cup chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate into the batter by hand. Pour batter into a well-greased 9x13" baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan.

 

 

 

 

 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until light brown on the edges. Allow to cool.  (Mine was probably a tad over done by2-3 minutes)

3. Make frosting by combining softened cream cheese, 3 cups powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cookie bar base has cooled, use a spatula to spread frosting over the top of the cake.

4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of diced cranberries over the frosting on the cake.

5. Whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and shortening. Drizzle icing over the cranberries in a sweeping motion or use a pastry bag with a fine tip to drizzle frosting across the top of the cake.

6. Allow bars to sit for several hours, then slice. I cut mine into bars but if you want the Starbucks look then slice the bars lengthwise (the long way) through the middle. Slice the cake across the width three times making a total of eight rectangular slices. Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.

Makes 16 bars.