Cranberry Shortbread Bars

Cranberries are in season! Yay!!!!!  I bought 2 bags the other day.....I just knew I'd find something to do with one of them besides my cranberry sauce. I found this recipe and, again, it's simple and delicious! The cranberries are just tart/sweet enough! Thinking this would be a nice addition to your 'Dessert Table' for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas.

CRANBERRY SHORTBREAD BARS

Makes 12 Bars

1 Bar = 5 PointsPlus™

Cranberry Filling:

8 oz. (2 1/4 cups) fresh cranberries
2/3 cup Splenda granulated
3 TBSP water

Shortbread Batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup light butter, room temp
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375º.

Cranberry Filling:

In a medium saucepan, place all the ingredients and stir. Cook over medium-high heat until it boils. Continue at a low boil until the cranberries 'pop' and the filling becomes thick and syrupy, @5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool while you make the shortbread.

Shortbread Batter:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.

(Don't know what happened to this picture, but it's just a bowl of white stuff!)

In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla.

Gently stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture with a fork until just combined.

Evenly press 2/3 of the shortbread batter into the bottom of a 9 x 9 pan that has been lightly sprayed. Evenly spread the cranberry filling over the batter, leaving @1/4” border.

With the remaining batter, use your fingers and crumble over the filling; lightly press the crumbles into the filling.

Bake for @30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in pan.

YUMMMMMM!!!!!!

 

Now for the 'legal mumbo-jumbo' to keep me out of court!!   *** The PointsPlus™ value for this recipe was calculated by me (Jan Gomes) and is not an endorsement or approval of this recipe by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus™ registered trademark. ***
 

Later!

Loving Life!
Jan