Cranberry Bliss Bars

Have I got a recipe for you! A few weeks back, I was visiting In a Garden...who was sharing her version of Starbuck's Cranberry Bliss bars.

Truth be told, I have never tried this Starbuck's holiday treat...but they looked most delicious, so I just had to check them out for myself. We had friends coming for coffee last night...and I happened to have all the ingredients on hand...so here is my version. They are rather rich...but most delightful!

Cranberry Bliss Bar

Cake:

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup diced dried cranberries

6 oz. white chocolate...cut into chunks

Frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened (half a brick)

3 cups icing sugar

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup diced dried cranberries

Drizzled Icing:

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 Tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

1.Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Make cake by beating butter and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in flour until smooth. Dice cranberries.

3. Add 3/4 cup cranberries and white chocolate chunks to batter...fold in. Pour batter into a well-greased 9" x 13" baking pan...spread evenly. Bake for 35 minutes or until cake is lightly browned on the edges. Allow to cool.

4. Make frosting by combining cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Frost cooled cake, using spatula to spread evenly

5. Sprinkle 1/4 cup diced cranberries over freshly frosted cake

6. Whisk together 1/2 cup icing sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and shortening. Drizzle icing over cranberries. I used a pastry bag with a fine tip.

Allow cake to sit for several hours before slicing. Slice the cake lengthwise through the middle...then cut across three times, making a total of eight rectangle slices. Slice each of these pieces in half diagonally. Yield: 16 generous, yummy slices of cranberry bliss!

Enjoy!