CRANBERRY BLISS BARS ~ STARBUCKS COPY CAT RECIPE
I LOVE these bars, but you can only get them once a year at the holidays so a copy cat recipe was a necessity! Not to mention Starbucks charges almost as much for one bar as I can make a WHOLE batch. These taste just like Starbucks in my opinion!
BLONDIE COOKIE BAR LAYER
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups PACKED brown sugar
2 LARGE eggs
1 teaspoon PURE orange extract
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch QUALITY cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup Craisins, chopped
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper (which makes it easy to lift out of the pan) or spray generously with non-stick baking spray.
- Add melted butter and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed.
- Add in eggs, orange extract, vanilla extract beating until mixed well.
- Add in ground ginger, baking powder, salt and flour, beating JUST until blended. DO NOT OVER MIX!
- Fold in white chocolate chips and Craisins by hand.
- Spread evenly into the bottom of prepared pan.
- Bake 18-22 minutes until set and golden brown at the edges. DO NOT OVER BAKE or your bars will be hard as rocks.
- Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
- Allow bars to cool COMPLETELY before frosting.
FROSTING/TOPPING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2-1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon PURE orange extract
1/2 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
1/3 cup Craisins, chopped SMALL
2 squares white chocolate almond bark, melted
- Beat cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add orange extract and vanilla extract mixing well. If too thin, add remaining powdered sugar.
- Top cooled bars with frosting.
- Sprinkle with chopped Craisins and drizzle the white chocolate almond bark over the top.
- Cut into triangles or squares. I recommend chilling them for at least an hour before serving and keeping them in an airtight container chilled to store.
- Enjoy!
NOTES:
- This recipe works as a gluten free bar really well. Swap out the all purpose flour for Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour.
- They freeze REALLY well! Be sure to thaw overnight before serving.