Breaking Out the Cranberries...and a Little Mint

In my baking world, there are two baking goods that are synonymous with Christmas: cranberries and peppermint. There's something about them that makes it officially seem like Christmas (not unlike pumpkin during fall...unrelated side note, I have two cans of pumpkin leftover from fall and I'm going to be breaking into at least one soon. I miss pumpkin so much it hurts). 

Last week, we had our super early office Christmas/holiday party (ah the perils of having multiple offices to work into the schedule). I was not in the spirit at all (seriously, despite my attempt to make my home festive, I was still mourning the loss of my beloved Thanksgiving). Nonetheless, I rose to the occasion, or at least attempted to. I've discovered that the beauty of making multiple dishes for an event is that you increase the odds that at least one of them will turn out. Unable to choose just one recipe (as per usual), I decided to make peppermint patty brownies and cranberry white chocolate bars. Yum and yum, and perfectly in tune with the Christmas spirit. 

Unfortunately, the brownies betrayed me like Judas (although in hindsight, it could be due to the fact that I refused to trust the recipe I found and instead decided to go rogue), but luckily the cranberry bars saved the day and earned me the baking praise I've come to crave :)

Peppermint Patty Brownies 

[the way they should have been]

Not usually a huge fan of the patty, I was instantly in love with the festive packaging

They had such promise

I would not recommend trying my rogue version...I basically took my current favorite brownie recipe, removed the chocolate chunk pieces, and poured half the batter in the pan, laid out the peppermint patties, and then topped with the remaining brownie mix and baked. 

And then the finished product emerged [notice the moist center and dark edges]

After some bites (not just by me). Such a good idea, maybe next time it'll work out.

If they hadn't stuck to the pan, I think they would've been quite good. I ate them out of the pan for a bit, before pawning them off on some friends and eventually disposing of the remains. Since they refused to come out of the pan, I refused to besmirch my good name and serve them in the officina.

Enter the cranberry white chocolate bars to save the day! These were based off a Starbucks version that someone was smart enough to figure out. I didn't make mine as fancy as Starbucks or the inspiration for this recipe, but they were still good and well received, which after my failings with the brownies was all that I could hope for. 

Cranberry White Chocolate Bars

Ingredients

(adapted from Averie Cooks)

For the Bars

• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted (2 sticks)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 3 tps vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries, loosely packed

Frosting and Topping

• 2 cups white chocolate chips, melted 
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, loosely packed

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 13x9 inch pan with aluminum foil or spray with cooking spray; set aside

2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 90 seconds. To the melted butter (allow it to cool slightly so you don't scramble the egg), add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and stir to combine

3. Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined. Be sure not to over-mix or the bars will be tough

4. Fold in the white chocolate chips and cranberries, stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula 

5. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until center is set and golden or edges begin to slightly pull away from sides of pan; do not overbake

6. Allow bars to cool before frosting them. While they cool, make the frosting as follows...

7. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate on high power, about 1 minute, reheating in 10-second intervals, or until it can be stirred smooth. Be careful not to overcook

8. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine cream cheese, the melted white chocolate confectioners' sugar (one cup at a time), vanilla, and beat until smooth and fluffy. 

9. Add additional confectioners' sugar based on taste preference and desired frosting consistency. Frost the bars; if you have excess, it will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 1 month (and longer in the freezer...although I discovered a few months back how delicious it is right out of the freezer and can no longer keep it in the home)

10. Evenly sprinkle 1/2 cup cranberries over the top of the frosted bars. Allow bars to set up for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Bars may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week

Topped and ready to be cut into

The holiday baking season has officially begun!