Cranberry Bliss Bars

I LOVE these things from Starbucks, with a nice, hot cup of their Passion Herb tea.  I'm so glad Kasey Buick over at One Girl Talks posted it.  Thanks!



Cake

1 cup {2 sticks} unsalted sweet cream butter

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. ginger

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup diced dried cranberries

6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks {or 1/2 bag of white chocolate chips}

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Frosting

4-ounces softened cream cheese

3 cups powdered sugar

4 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 c. dried cranberries

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Drizzled icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp milk

2 tsp vegetable shortening

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Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Make cake by beating butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger,

and salt, then beat well. Gradually mix in flour until smooth. Mix 3/4 cup diced dried cranberries and white chocolate

into the batter by hand. Pour batter into a well-greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly

across the pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is light brown on the edges. Allow cake to cool completely.

3. Make frosting by combining the softened cream cheese, 3 cups powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract in

a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.

{this is where i go down hill and test taste it…. eating too much…but someone has to test it

to make sure it’s not poisoned…..right…}

Use a spatula and spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake.

4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the diced cranberries over the frosting on the cake.

5. {DRIZZLED FROSTING IS NOT NEEDED BUT I PROMISED YOU DIRECTIONS…SO FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS PART}

Whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp of milk and shortening. Drizzle icing over the cranberries in a sweeping motion

or use a pastry bag with a fine tip to drizzle frosting across the top of the cake

……………………..

6. Allow cake to sit for several hours {i normally make it in evening and then it’s ready to serve and deliver to friend in the morning}

7. If you want it to look like the ones served at Starbucks….Slice the cake lengthwise {the long way} through the middle.

Slice across the width three times making a total of eight rectangular slices.

Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.

Or just slice them up in squares.

p.s I am NOT responsible for you eating the entire pan of bars in one sitting