Cranberry Bliss Bars

I've never actually bought the cranberry bliss bars from Starbucks, but every single time I see them I want to try them. They are just so pretty, and look so tasty, but I never want to shell out the money to buy a tiny little bar, especially when I can probably make them at home! I've had this recipe for cranberry bliss bars in my recipe folder for quite some time, but it took me forever to get around to making them. The recipe calls for cream cheese, dried cranberries, and white chocolate, and I never seemed to have all three of those at the same time.

Finally, over this past Christmas break I decided I had to do it, so I went out and bought these three ingredients so I would no longer have any excuses not to make these bars. I'm glad I finally did it. I thought these bars were fantastic. The blondie base layer is buttery and chewy, and filled with white chocolate and cranberries. Topped with a white chocolate cream cheese frosting, covered in more cranberries and drizzled with more white chocolate, they are absolutely delicious. I still haven't tried the real thing from Starbucks so I can't compare them, but I really don't feel like I have to!

Like I said, the blondie is delicious, and could probably work as the base for some other bars. I'll have to play around with that a little. They're not difficult at all to throw together, I love anything with melted butter because I can still make it right away, even if I forgot to soften the butter. So if you are craving coffee shop pastries at home, take the initiative and make your own, it's worth it!

Cranberry Bliss Bars

From

Recipe Girl

Ingredients

Blondie Layer:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

Frosting:

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.

Prepare the blondie layer: In a medium bowl, melt butter for one minute in the microwave or until melted; stir in brown sugar. Pour the butter and sugar into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Use an electric mixer to beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in the cranberries and chopped chocolate (batter will be thick).

Spread the blondie batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool completely on a wire rack.

Prepare the frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with chopped cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Let the frosting set (speed this up by throwing them into the fridge) then cut into bars- square or triangle-shaped. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Almond White Chocolate Biscotti

While I'm usually more of a soft and chewy cookie kind of girl, there are times when a crunchy and hard cookie is just what I need. This was the case not too long ago, and so I decided it was time to make some biscotti. Biscotti, that twice baked, crisp and crumbly cookie that is perfect for dipping in coffee, hot chocolate, or my personal favorite, milk. There are so many options when it comes to biscotti; they can be sweet or savory, filled with chocolate or nuts, dried fruit or cheese, really anything you can think of. I of course favor the sweet version, and this time I went with white chocolate and almonds, mostly because I had both of those things in the house. It was a delicious combination though, one I would make again. Because you bake biscotti twice, the whole process can take a while, but you are left with a lot of cookies in the end, and they last for a long time. If you don't think you like biscotti because you've only ever bought it pre-packaged at a coffee shop or at the store, try making it at home before you write it off completely; you might be surprised at how delicious it can be!

Cooled, drizzled and ready to eat

Slivered almonds, ready to go

White chocolate, chopped

Dry ingredients 

Add the beautiful eggs...

...and the butter, and start stirring

Once it starts to combine a little, use you hands to 

knead the dough until it all comes together

Done

Divide the dough in three balls

Shape them into 14 inch logs

Place the logs on a couple of cookie sheets

and flatten them slightly

First bake

Gotta let them cool for about 20 minutes

Then slice up into 1/2 inch cookies

Cutting on the diagonal 

Then place back on the cookie sheets to be baked again

Ready to go

Second bake

Beautiful golden brown

Drizzle with white chocolate and they're ready to eat

Almond White Chocolate Biscotti
From: Ultimate Italian, a Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication
Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 cups sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds 
• 1/2 cup finely chopped white chocolate 
• 2 eggs 
• 2 egg yolks 
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted 

Directions
Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease two cookie sheets; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder salt, almonds and chocolate. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Place eggs and egg yolks in the well and stir into the flour mixture. Add butter; stir until combined. (Dough will be crumbly.) Use your hands to knead dough until it comes together.

Divide dough into three equal portions. (If necessary, wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes or until evenly moistened.) On a lightly floured surface, shape each portion into a 14 inch long log, pinching dough as you roll, if necessary. Place logs about 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets; flatten logs slightly until about 1 1/2 inches wide. Bake about 25 minutes or until firm and light brown. Transfer cookie sheets to wire racks. Cool for 15 minutes.

Transfer logs to cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut each log diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn slices over Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until crisp, golden and dry. Cool.

Drizzle additional melted whit chocolate over cooled biscotti if desired.