This is a delicious sweet and tart bar made from fresh cranberries and oranges. The bar has a shortbread crust that's also crumbled for the topping. The cranberries are spiced with True Cinnamon and Ginger Powder for a perfect complement to their tartness. These bars are great for snacks or dessert and are wonderful way to enjoy the flavors of this special seasonal berry.
GINGER POWDER, True Cinnamon
Ingredients & Directions For Filling:
Combine 2 cups of the cranberries and all of the remaining following ingredients in a large saucepan:
12 ounce bag fresh cranberries- divided
1/2 cup Orange Juice
1 Tblspn Orange Zest
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp orange extract
2 tsp True Cinnamon
1 tsp Ginger Powder
3/4 cup (white) granulated sugar
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Add the remaining cranberries to the thickened mixture, stir, and then remove from the heat. Set aside.
Ingredients & Directions For The Crust:
1 1/4 cup butter, melted & cooled
1 cup (white) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
3 1/4 cups flour
Combine the butter, sugar, and eggs. Add the flour and salt and mix until it is in the form of a dough. Remove 1/2 of the dough (set aside the other 1/2 of the dough) and press it into a 9x9 inch pan lined with parchment paper (allow some of the paper to hang over the sides of the pan). Pierce the pressed dough several times with a fork. Refrigerate the crust for 30 minutes. After refrigeration, bake the crust in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Ingredients & Directions For The Topping:
To the remaining crust dough, add 1/4 cup (white) granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp Ginger Powder. Stir until just crumbly (do not overmix).
Directions To Assemble:
Spread the filling over the baked crust. Sprinkle the topping over the filling.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for at 45 minutes or until the topping is lightly brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Lift the cooled bars out of the pan with the overhang parchment paper. Cool completely and then slice into bars.
