Cranberry Orange Shortbread Bars with Orange Glaze

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We are already on Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies. Cranberry and orange are a delicious flavor pairing. My cranberry and orange shortbread bars with orange glaze use dried cranberries and fresh orange juice and zest. The bars themselves are not all that sweet so the orange glaze makes it more “dessert like”.

What I like about bar recipes is they are a bit quicker to make than cookies. No scooping, no waiting for cookie sheets to cool for the next batch.

This recipe is a true shortbread flavor and texture. My husband was pleasantly surprised because he thought it would be more like a blondie texture. I can see why, because they do kind of look like blondies. They have just a subtle orange flavor, it’s not too overpowering. Add them to your holiday cookie trays or a party dessert table. They will be perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Bars with Orange Glaze

Yield: About 20 squares

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Bars with Orange Glaze are a delicious seasonal treat

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Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter. softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons orange juice, maybe more for drizzling consistency

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your mixer beat butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 - 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Beat in egg until blended. Ad flour and mix on medium until a smooth dough forms. Fold in dried cranberries.
3. Press dough evenly into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until edges are light brown and bars are barely golden. Remove from oven and let cool before removing from pan. Remove from pan, foil and all and set on cutting board. Drizzle with glaze. Let glaze set before cutting into bars.
5. To make Glaze: Combine powdered sugar and orange juice stirring until smooth and a drizzling consistency. Add more juice if too thick, more powdered sugar if too thin. Drizzle over shortbread.

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Day 3

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Bars with Orange Glaze from Family Around the Table
Graybeh from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Great Grandma’s Peanut Butter Cookies from Cooking With Carlee
Coconut Washboards from Jolene’s Recipe Journal