If you’ve visited my little world here before, then you know I have an obsession with Starbucks.
I LOVE their coffee. It’s what I drink at home, on the run and it’s what I use in my baked goods when they call for coffee. Their bakery items are pretty darn tasty too. (No, I don’t care that they come frozen shipped from wherever.) Sometimes you just want a chocolate croissant and unfortunately I don’t live in a city with a bakery on every block. You take what you can get.
Starbucks has these cute little Cranberry Bliss Bars that are out during the holiday season. I couldn’t tell you exactly when because ever since I found a recipe (which is even better than the Starbucks version!) I haven’t had to buy one in years. Which is nice because they are probably like $3 a bar by now. Anyway, these bars are a breeze to whip together. I always bake and frost the night before I need them and throw them in the fridge. Take em’ out in the morning, cut them up and let them come to room temp. I tend to like them when the frosting is a little cold yet. Just a personal preference. Seriously, these are the best blondies you’ve ever tasted.
There seem to be a lot of versions of the recipe out there but the one I use is from The Oregonian and was developed by Linda Faus. My version is slightly different, so if you want to try the original first, make hers. Then branch out and play around with the recipe. I sub in orange zest for the lemon in the frosting and it’s my favorite way to make them. Try these out and see what you like! And be happy you can have a whole pan of these for what it probably costs for two individual bars at Starbucks! Extra bonus: make these any time of year. I have a lot of requests for these even during the summer months. So when that craving hits, you’ll be prepared!
Cranberry Ecstasy Bars
adapted from Linda Faus via The Oregonian
makes 9×13 pan, servings depend on how bars are cut
Bars
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup minced dried cranberries
1 1/2 ounces white chocolate chopped
1/4 cup (heaping) minced crystallized ginger
Cream Cheese Frosting
1-8oz package cream cheese, room temp
4 Tbsp butter, room temp
1 cup plus 3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of an orange (more or less to taste)
pinch of salt
1/3 cup minced dried cranberries
White Chocolate Drizzle
1 ounce white chocolate
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of your standing mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until light. Sift together the flour, ginger and salt and add to the butter mixture. Mix until flour is incorporated. Fold in dried cherries, chocolate and crystallized ginger. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Let cool completely before frosting.
In a medium bowl or bowl of your standing mixer, combine all frosting ingredients except the cranberries (cream cheese through salt).
Remove cake from pan once cool. You can trim the edges if you’d like. Spread cream cheese frosting over the bars. Sprinkle cranberries over the bars. Refrigerate for an hour.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt white chocolate. Whisk in powdered sugar and milk until well-mixed. Scrape into a small sturdy plastic bag or piping bag. Cut a tiny corner of the bag and squeeze to drizzle white chocolate over entire surface of the bars. Cut bars and serve.
I usually cut the bars lengthwise into three equal portions. Then cut the rectangles into equal squares and cut the squares diagonally. You can cut the bars however you’d like!
Then impress all your friends with delicious homemade Cranberry Ecstasy Bars!
Ann