Cranberry White Chocolate Bars

I highly recommend you make this recipe because it is PERFECT for the holidays!  (Actually, make it any time of the year… it’s that good.) I have been making this recipe every year for 8 Christmas’s and it’s always a crowd favourite.  I just made it last week to nail down the recipe and my husband Mark even said, “KATIE – I forgot how good this recipe is.” Why thank you, Mark.

I posted a quick how-to video on my IGTV channel on my Instagram so go check it out if you want to see a visual of just how simple it is and to see a step by step guide.

If you make them for the holidays, I can almost guarantee you’ll get a bunch of comments about how good they are and how much they love you for bringing them.  You can thank me later.

There are some “steps” to this recipe, but overall it’s VERY simple.  

• Make the cookie base
• Add the icing
• Sprinkle Cranberries on top
• Drizzle white chocolate to finish it off

Before you get started with your recipe you will want to do two things to prep first:  

#1) Roast your pecans

#2) Zest 3 oranges with the small side of your cheese grater or an actual citrus zester.  You will need the zest for 3 different aspects of the recipe and I find it works best to just zest them all at the beginning before you get started. 

After you’ve done your prep, you can get started on your cookie base. It’s pretty much just like a giant holiday cookie base stuffed full with a bunch of yummy things… like roasted pecans, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips.  A GIANT CHRISTMAS COOKIE WITH ICING ON IT? Yes – yes it is.

Add your melted butter and sugar to a bowl and mix until combined.  Next add your eggs and vanilla and mix again until fully combined.

Next add the flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla.  

After those are combined you can fold in your dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, roasted pecans, and orange zest (Make sure you reserve 2 TBS of zest for the icing and the topping for later) 

Press your base mixture into a parchment lined 9X13 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. 

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While your base is baking in the oven, you can make your icing! Place your cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, vanilla, and 1 tbs of orange zest into a mixer or use a hand mixer.  Turn on and mix until fully incorporated.

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Once your cookie base comes out of the oven, let it cool. 

After it has cooled, you can spread your icing evenly on top of the base.  Then you can sprinkle your cranberries and last tablespoon of orange zest on top. 

Lastly, you will melt the white chocolate chips and then use a spoon to drizzle it all over the top!  

Now you just need to put it into the fridge to let the white chocolate harden up and “set” before cutting into bars or triangles. 

Made It? Love it? Share it!

If you made it I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment below and if you want to show off your baking, snap a pic for Instagram and use the hashtag #theeverydaykitchen.

 

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