Homemade Cranberry Shortbread Bars

Cranberry shortbread bars are tangy but still sweet and

totally delicious - perfect for any holiday party!

Cranberry Filling:

12 oz. fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

4 1/2 Tbsp. water

Wash and dry the cranberries and pick out any icky ones.  Place the cranberries, sugar, and water in a medium sized saucepan. 

cranberries

cranberries + sugar

cranberries + sugar + water

 Over medium heat, cook the ingredients until boiling.

boiling cranberries

 Continue to boil the filling until it becomes anick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.  Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool while you make the shortbread.

thick and syrupy cranberries

Shortbread:

3 cups flour

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

3/8 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F).  Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.

butter before

creamed butter

Add the brown sugar and beat until smooth.

butter + brown sugar

Beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, and salt.

flour + cornstarch + salt

Gently stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture.

adding the flour mixture

shortbread dough

Evenly press two-thirds of the shortbread into the bottom of the pan.

pressing the shortbread

Evenly spread the cranberry filling over the shortbread base, leaving a 1/4 inch border.

spreading the filling

 

Crumble the remaining shortbread dough over the filling using your fingers.

shortbread crumbles on top of filling

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

baked

golden brown

Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.  Cut the shortbread into bars while it is still hot, but let them cool completely in the pan.  Once cool, you can lift the bars out of the pan by grabbing the edges of the foil.

cut and serve - yum!

[recipe courtesy of Joy of Baking]