Cranberry *Bliss* Bars

I worked for Starbucks Coffee Co. for a little over three years. I met my now husband working together at the same store, and shortly afterward found that most of his family has worked there at some point. Every Christmas season I would anxiously await the Cranberry Bliss Bars and was glad to have found this copy cat recipe by Todd Wilbur. I made this for my christmas gift exchange with my husband's sisters and cousins a couple years ago and it has become a tradition for me to bring them every year. Though I have yet to try alternating the fruit, I'm sure it will be tasty with dried blueberries, apricots, or any of your favorite dried fruits. With this recipe, bliss can be had all year 'round!

Starbuck's Cranberry Bliss Bar Recipe

Top Secret Recipes version of Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar by Todd Wilbur

The tangy cranberries and sweet lemon frosting make this cake bar a holiday favorite that evokes piles of cloning requests when Starbucks stops selling it after Christmas. Now, with this easy-to-make clone, this treat can be a perennial hit. Break out this red and white treat for the gang on this holiday and you might be as popular as the guy in the red and white suit.

Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup diced dried cranberries

6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks

Frosting

4-ounces cream cheese, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

4 teaspoons lemon juice <-- Depending on whether you use fresh squeezed or lemon juice concentrate you may want to adjust this quantity, tasting after every addition.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup diced dried cranberries

Drizzled Icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Make cake by beating butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger, and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in flour until smooth. Mix 3/4 cup diced dried cranberries and white chocolate into the batter by hand. Pour batter into a well-greased 9x13" baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is light brown on the edges. Allow cake to cool.

3. Make frosting by combining softened cream cheese, 3 cups powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cake has cooled, use a spatula to spread frosting over the top of the cake.

4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of diced cranberries over the frosting on the cake.

5. Whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and shortening. Drizzle icing over the cranberries in a sweeping motion or use a pastry bag with a fine tip to drizzle frosting across the top of the cake.

6. Allow cake to sit for several hours, then slice the cake lengthwise (the long way) through the middle. Slice the cake across the width three times making a total of eight rectangular slices. Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.

From: http://www.topsecretrecipes.com

Makes 16 bars.