Chewy, buttery brown-sugar bars studded with chopped fresh cranberries. The tart berries cut through the sweet, cookie-like base, which makes these an easy way to use fresh cranberries during the autumn harvest.
Ingredients
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with the shortening.
Wash and dry the cranberries, then chop them into small pieces, about ¼ inch, on a cutting board.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream the margarine with the granulated sugar and brown sugar by pressing the mixture against the side of the bowl with the back of a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Mix the flour mixture into the sugar and egg mixture until just combined. Fold in the chopped cranberries gently, with an over-and-under motion, until evenly distributed.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then let cool completely before cutting into 16 bars.
Notes
Cranberries are very tart, which is what balances the sweet batter. Chop them small so every bar gets some, and use a food processor in short pulses if you prefer, taking care not to turn them into a purée.
Fresh cranberries are in season in autumn, but they can be frozen whole for months. Frozen berries work here without thawing: chop them while still frozen and fold them in right away.
Stored in an airtight container, the bars keep for about 3 days at room temperature. The batter is thick and the bars are meant to be chewy rather than cakey, so do not overbake them.
Variations
Add the grated zest of 1 orange, a classic pairing with cranberries.
Stir in ½ cup of chopped toasted hazelnuts, an Oregon specialty, or walnuts.
Replace the fresh cranberries with ¾ cup of chopped dried cranberries for a sweeter, chewier bar.
Dust the cooled bars with powdered sugar or drizzle them with a simple orange glaze.
Use butter instead of margarine for a richer flavor.
Source
This is a classic American bar cookie, and it is linked to Oregon through the fruit, as wild cranberries grew in northwestern Oregon.