Cranberry Bliss Bars (starbucks Copycat)

Total Time: 2 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 40
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks, very soft)
• 1 cup brown sugar (some cooks reduce this to 2/3 cup)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons orange extract or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange extract (or vanilla)
• 1/3 cup craisins, chopped
• 1 -2 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon canola oil

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 for a glass or dark pan). prepare a 10x15 by lining it with parchment paper or use a non-stick spray.
• 2 bars: with an electric mixer, beat together softened butter and sugars 3-5 minutes until light; gently blend in eggs and orange extract (don't overbeat eggs). add the flour, baking powder, and ginger and beat briefly. add the cranberries and chips, stirring just until incorporated.
• 3 spread thick batter in prepared 10x15 pan. bake 350 for 20-24 minutes until light brown at edges and a skewer tests clean. don't overbake or your bars will be dry. let it cool completely. note: if you use a 9x13 pan, the bars will be thicker and will take 26-28 minutes.
• 4 frosting: blend cream cheese and butter until fluffy. add orange extract and confectioners sugar and beat until frosting is fluffy and spreadable (adding 1 t. milk if needed). spread evenly over cooled bars.
• 5 garnish: use a zester to remove rind from an orange; sprinkle zest over frosted bars. chop 1/3 cup craisins coarsely; sprinkle over frosted bars.
• 6 drizzle: mix chocolate and oil in a glass measuring cup. microwave 1 minute; stirring every 15 seconds until melted. use a fork or whisk to drizzle the chocolate diagonally across the bars.
• 7 allow one hour for the chocolate to set before cutting. **to make signature starbuck triangles, cut into 20 large squares (5 cuts by 4 cuts with the knife). then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles.