Cranberry Bliss Bars

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Cranberry bliss bars are delicious!  Serve these rich delightful treats with a good cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (5 ounce) bag sweetened dried cranberries
1 (12 ounce) bag white chocolate chips, divided

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

Melt the butter in the microwave.

In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter, brown and white sugars and beat with an electric mixer.

Incorporate the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.

Add the salt, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and mix until just combined.  DO NOT OVER MIX OR THE BARS WILL BE TOUGH.

Fold in 3/4 cup cranberries and 3/4 cup white chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 25 - 27 minutes and place on a cooling rake

Using a saucepan or double boiler melt the remaining white chocolate; set aside

Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and the orange juice in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined.

Incorporate the melted white chocolate into the cream cheese mixture and beat until combined.

Frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with remaining cranberries.

Cover and refrigerate for 6 - 8 hours.  DO NOT REMOVE FROM BAKING DISH OR SLICE BARS UNTIL REFRIGERATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

Slice bars and serve.

Slicing Instructions

8 servings

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes
Recipe by CHOW @ http://www.chow.com/recipes/28985-lemon-ricotta-pancakes

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for coating the frying pan and serving
1 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking power
1 teaspoon fine salt
3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon packed finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 to 3 medium lemons)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

Powdered sugar, fruit, maple syrup or apple-cranberry pancake topping (see recipe below) for serving

Directions:

Place butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium-heat, stirring occasionally until butter has melted; remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; set aside.

Place egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in a quarter of the milk-butter mixture (this will temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling), then whisk in the remaining milk-butter mixture until smooth.

Add the reserved flout mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (do not over mix); set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks (they should bend like soft-serve ice cream; make sure the bowl and whisk are perfectly clean with no traces of grease, or the whites will not whip properly). Halfway through whisking them, sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Using the rubber spatula, fold the whites into the reserved batter until just combined.

Gently fold the ricotta into the batter, being careful not to break down the texture of the cheese (the batter will be lumpy and streaked with ricotta); set aside.

Heat a large nonstick frying pan, griddle, or seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot, about 4 minutes.  Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a couple of drops of cold water in it:  If the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use.

Lightly coat the pan's surface with butter, then use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop the batter into the pan. Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancakes, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side until the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter.  Serve immediately with powdered sugar, fruit, butter, maple syrup or apple-cranberry pancake topping (see recipe below).

Apple-Cranberry Pancake Topping

Ingredients:

3 Golden  Delicious apples, peeled, cored, halved, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces.
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch salt
Pinch ground nutmeg

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in bowl and microwave, covered, until apples are softened but not mushy and juices are slightly thickened, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring once halfway through microwaving.  Stir before serving.