Cranberry Bliss Bars

Original recipe found here.

In case you were wondering, yes, these are like the bars from Starbucks!  For some reason I thought about these bars the other morning on my way to work and looked online to see if I could find the recipe.  You have to love the internet....there it was, the complete recipe!  I could not wait to make these for the Holidays.  These bars are delicious!

Ingredients:

Bars

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks, melted and cooled)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons orange extract or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, I used vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 cup craisins
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Frosting:

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange extract or vanilla 
• 1 teaspoon milk 

Topping:

• 1/3 cup craisins, chopped
• 1 -2 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, 325 if it is a glass pan.  Spray a 10x15" pan or line with parchment paper.  Mine turned out a little thicker because I used a 9x13" pan.

For the bars, melt the butter and cool slightly.  With an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars, until light. Gently blend in eggs and extract.  Add the flour, baking powder, and ginger, beat briefly.  Add the cranberries and chips, stirring just until mixed throughout.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan.  Bake for about 25 minutes, until firm.  Let it cool completely.

For the frosting, blend the cream cheese and butter, until fluffy.  Add extract and powder sugar.  Once combined, add milk.  Spread over bars evenly.

For the topping, use a zester to remove rind from orange, sprinkle over frosted bars.  Chop up the craisins and chocolate chips coarsely; sprinkle over frosted bars.