Cranberry Bliss Bars

Last year my friend Tami over at The Lady In The Stone House  gave me the recipe to make bars like the Cranberry Bliss Bars that Starbucks sells this time of year!

Cranberry Bliss Bars *Starbucks Copycat

Bars:
1 cup butter (2 sticks very soft, almost melted)
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons orange extract or vanilla extract ( I used vanilla)
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 cup craisins
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Frosting: (Recipe notes that you could use store bought if in a rush)
3 oz. cream cheese
2 T. butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. orange extract (or vanilla)

Topping:
1/3 cup craisins, chopped
1-2 T. grated orange rind
1/3 c. white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. canola oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9X13 pan with parchment paper or use a non-stick spray.
2. BARS: With an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars for 3-5 minutes until fluffy; blend in the eggs and extract. Add flour, baking powder and ginger, beat briefly. Add the cranberries and chips and stir.
3. Spread the thick batter in pan and bake for 27-29 minutes until edges are light brown and skewer comes out clean. Let cool completely. *check at 25 minutes, mine were a bit over done at 27 minutes.
4. FROSTING: Blend cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add extract and sugar and beat until fluffy and spreadable. Spread evenly over bars.5. GARNISH: Use a zester to remove rind from an orange. Chop 1/3 cup craisins coarsely. Sprinkle this garnish over the bars.
6. DRIZZLE: Mix white chocolate chips and oil in bowl. Microwave 60% power for 1 minute. Stir until melted. Use a fork to drizzle bars with white chocolate. *I always use a small freezer ziploc bag for this and snip a corner and then drizzle.
7. Allow one hour for chocolate to set before cutting. I cut mine into triangles like Starbucks.

I made them for a Mystery Shopping Bus Trip that our church had on Friday (I thought I had taken a picture of them all cut up and in their little papers to serve, but I guess not).  They were a hit!   The only thing I did different this time was that I used a 10x15 jelly roll pan and baked the dough layer about 15-20 min!  They were FABULOUS!!  All the ladies couldn't believe I had made them!!  I got 60 bars out of 2 jelly roll pans.Thanks once again Tami for a wonderful, impressive recipe!  I can always count on you!