Cranberry Almond Bars
Description
This is borrowed from Shelley Adams newest book, Whitewater Cooks with Friends. Cindy – if you love Cranberry Upside Down Cake, you’re going to love these too! Enjoy!
Ingredients
Bottom
3/4 c. butter, room temperature AND 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. EACH vanilla AND cinnamon
1 1/2 c. flour AND 1/2 c. almond flour
Middle
1/2 c. EACH water AND orange juice
1 c. sugar AND zest from a large orange
1 (12 oz/340 g) bag of fresh cranberries (about 3 cups)
Top
1/4 c. flour
2 T. EACH brown sugar AND cold butter
1/4 t. cinnamon AND 1/2 c. chopped almonds
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 and grease a 9 x 13 pan – line it with parchment as well if you’d like perfect squares. In a large bowl, mix together the 6 ‘bottom’ ingredients using a pastry cutter, and then your hands as needed until well combined. Press the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until it’s just starting to brown, then remove it from the oven and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes to cool and set.
In a medium saucepan, combine the ‘middle’ ingredients – except for the cranberries, and bring them to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for a good 5 minutes, then add in the berries and boil gently until the berries finish popping – this will take a few minutes and you may wish to keep the pot covered as much as you can. Pour this evenly over the baked ‘bottom’.
Combine the 5 ‘top’ ingredients – I just used the same bowl – and use a pastry cutter or your hands until the mixture is mealy and crumbly. Sprinkle this evenly over the ‘middle’ and bake again for another 20 to 25 minutes. Allow it all to cool completely before cutting into bars.
- Category: Squares
