Bliss Bars

  

The day after Christmas, I made a batch of Cranberry Bliss Bars. They tasted even better than the ones you buy at Starbuck's, due in part to the fact that mine contained fresh ingredients and no nasty preservatives.

With Craisins, white chocolate chips, real butter, and cream cheese, these bars are neither inexpensive to make nor are they healthy. I located the recipe on the Internet and incorporated many of the changes that were suggested by the people that had tried the recipe before me.

By the way, the most efficient way to chop Craisins is to put them in a one-gallon reclosable plastic bag and snip them with a clean, sharp scissors.

FOR THE BARS

2 sticks butter – softened
¾ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons orange extract

2 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¾ cup craisins (dried cranberries) snipped

¾ cup white chocolate chips

FOR THE FROSTING

4 ounces cream cheese – softened

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon orange extract (or vanilla)

FOR THE GARNISH

1/3 cup craisins, chopped

1 -2 tablespoon grated orange rind

TO MAKE BARS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 for a glass or dark pan). Prepare a 10x15 by lining it with parchment paper or use a non-stick spray.

With an electric mixer, beat together softened butter and sugars 3-5 minutes until light; gently blend in eggs and orange extract (don't overbeat eggs). Add the flour, baking powder, and ginger and beat briefly. Add the cranberries and chips, stirring just until incorporated.

Spread thick batter in prepared 10x15 pan. Bake 350 for 20 minutes until light brown AT EDGES and a skewer tests clean. Don't overbake or your bars will be dry (as the Sahara). Let bars cool completely.

If you use a 9x13 pan, the bars will be thicker and will take 24 minutes or so to bake.

TO MAKE FROSTING

Blend cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add orange extract and confectioner’s sugar and beat until frosting is fluffy and spreadable (adding 1 t. milk if needed). Spread evenly over COOLED bars.

TO MAKE GARNISH

 
Use a zester to remove rind from an orange; sprinkle zest over frosted bars. Chop 1/3 cup Craisins coarsely; sprinkle over frosted bars.