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Cozy Cranberry Bliss Bars with Easy White Chocolate Drizzle

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These Cozy Cranberry Bliss Bars are the kind of dessert that feels like a warm hug on a cold day. A buttery shortbread-like crust is topped with a chewy, tart-sweet cranberry filling and finished with a creamy white chocolate drizzle.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups dried cranberries
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides. Lightly grease the parchment.
  2. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and mix. In a separate bowl, whisk flour and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture, mixing on low until a soft dough forms.
  3. Press dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until edges are just golden. Center should still look pale.
  4. While crust bakes, combine dried cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and cook 5-7 minutes until cranberries plump and absorb most of the juice.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk brown sugar and cornstarch. Add to saucepan along with orange zest. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
  6. Let baked crust cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Spread cranberry filling evenly over warm crust. Return to oven and bake 12-15 minutes until filling is bubbly and edges are deeper golden.
  7. Cool bars completely in pan on a wire rack, about 1-2 hours.
  8. Once cool, place white chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth and fully melted. Let cool 2-3 minutes.
  9. Transfer melted white chocolate to a small piping bag or zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Drizzle in a zigzag pattern across the bars.
  10. Let white chocolate set completely, about 30 minutes at room temperature or 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Use parchment overhang to lift bars out of pan. Slice into 24 squares or 12 rectangles.

Notes

Don’t overbake the crust; edges should be golden but center pale. Let cranberries plump fully for juicy bars. Use a light hand with the drizzle. If white chocolate seizes, add a teaspoon of warm coconut oil and stir vigorously. Bars taste even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry bars, white chocolate drizzle, easy dessert, holiday baking, comfort food, cranberry bliss bars

Find it online: https://ovenmila.com/cozy-cranberry-bliss-bars-with-easy-white-chocolate-drizzle/