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Cranberry Bars

Easy Cranberry Bars - A Festive Treat for Your Holiday Table

Delight in these easy Cranberry Bars, combining sweet-tart cranberries with a buttery crumb topping for your holiday table.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Cooling Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Calories: 200

Ingredients
  

For the Base
  • 2 cups Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
  • 1 cup Butter Room temperature for base, cold for topping
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 2 cups Flour Sifted
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon Salt
For the Wet Ingredients
  • 2 large Eggs Room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 0.5 cup Sour Cream Greek yogurt can be substituted
  • 1 tablespoon Orange Zest Avoid white pith
For the Crumb Topping
  • 0.75 cup Flour
  • 0.5 cup Sugar
  • 0.5 cup Cold Butter Chilled for best results

Equipment

  • Oven
  • 9-inch square baking pan
  • Mixer
  • Mixing bowls
  • Spatula

Method
 

Step-by-Step Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and butter a 9-inch square baking pan.
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
  3. Cream together the room-temperature butter, sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with sour cream.
  6. Fold in the cranberries gently using a spatula.
  7. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cold butter until coarse crumbs form. (Optional: add a dash of vanilla extract)
  8. Spread the cranberry batter evenly in the prepared pan and sprinkle the crumb topping over it.
  9. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until edges are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
  10. Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, slice, and enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1barCalories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 100mgPotassium: 120mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 250IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.5mg

Notes

For best results, use cold butter for the topping and coat cranberries in flour before folding them into the batter.

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