Cranberry Crumble Bars Baking (Print Version)
Sweet-tart cranberry bars with citrus zest, buttery crumble, and vanilla glaze—ideal for holiday gatherings.
# Ingredients:
→ Shortbread Crust
01 -
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
02 -
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
03 -
1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
04 -
1 large egg, room temperature
05 -
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
06 -
3 1/4 cups (405 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
07 -
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
08 -
1 teaspoon cinnamon
09 -
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
→ Cranberry Filling
10 -
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
11 -
2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
12 -
1 tablespoon cornstarch
13 -
1 tablespoon orange zest
14 -
1 tablespoon orange juice
15 -
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Vanilla Glaze
16 -
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
17 -
4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
18 -
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# Directions:
01 -
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing to combine well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Do not over mix.
02 -
Set aside roughly 2 cups of the dough (loosely packed) and reserve to use on the top of the crumble. Press the shortbread dough into an 8 x 8 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Use your hands or the flat side of a measuring cup to press it evenly into the corners of the pan.
03 -
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown and the center is just set. Do not over bake. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the crust to cool slightly while you prepare the cranberry filling.
04 -
In a large bowl, mix together the cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Pour the cranberry mixture over the pre-baked crust.
05 -
Use your hands to break up the reserved 2 cups of shortbread dough into smaller, flat pieces. Place them randomly on top of the cranberry filling, leaving space between them for the cranberries to peak through.
06 -
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for about 45 minutes, covering the top of the pan with aluminum foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking to prevent the crumble from turning too dark. Remove the bars from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely before adding the vanilla glaze.
07 -
Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk (or heavy cream), and vanilla extract. The glaze should be thin enough to run off a fork but not so thin that it’s transparent. Adjust consistency with additional milk or powdered sugar as needed. Drizzle over the cooled bars.
08 -
Once the glaze has set, slice the bars into 16 squares and serve.
# Notes:
01 -
Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
02 -
For freezing, freeze the bars before adding the glaze. Defrost at room temperature before drizzling with glaze.