Cranberry Bliss Bars

Thursday - December 14, 2017

Cranberry bliss bars are my winter go-to, and this recipe from has all the elements of dessert perfection (fudgey blondie, cream cheese frosting, extra cranberries on top). I made these the night before I flew out to Canada, so the combination of these holiday bars plus the freeeeezing weather in Ottawa (-2 Fahrenheit!) really put me in the holiday spirit. I gave these to my next door neighbors as holiday treats and they were a hit!

Recipe written up and shared on the Brandless Blog
Yield: 16 bars

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Toppings:
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Frosting :
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 cups of confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:
1. Heat your oven to 350 F and line an 8x8 baking pan with Brandless parchment paper.

2. To bake the blondies: Melt your butter in a saucepan over low heat on the stove. Stir regularly and make sure that the butter does not start to bubble. Once melted, pour the butter into a large mixing bowl and, using a large wooden spoon, stir in both the brown and white sugars.

3. Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and salt. Once those are mixed in, slowly add in your flour and mix until it’s just incorporated. Gently fold in the cranberries and white chocolate chips.

4. Pour your blondie batter into your prepared pan and bake in the oven for 22-26 minutes. (Mine were ready at 25 minutes.) You will know it’s done when the edges are slightly browned and a skewer or knife inserted in the center of the blondies comes out clean with no batter on it. Set them aside and let them cool.

5. Melt 1/4 of your white chocolate chips either in the microwave or using a double boiler over the stove. Be very careful not to overheat the white chocolate, it can seize up very easily! Once your chocolate is mostly melted with a few chips left, remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Using your stand mixer or a handheld mixer, beat the white chocolate, cream cheese, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar on high for 3 minutes, until it is very fluffy.

6. Using a spatula or knife, spread the frosting over the cooled blondies. Evenly sprinkle the cranberries over the frosting, then melt your remaining 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips and drizzle this over the cranberries. Set aside for 10 minutes.

7. Once the white chocolate drizzle is set, use a serrated knife to cut your blondies. Enjoy!