The snowy white frosting with a sprinkling of cranberry and orange pieces then drizzled with white chocolate makes a holiday cookie showpiece. These cookies are festive looking, delicious, and rich.

Holiday Cranberry Bars

Ingredients:

Small amount of vegetable shortening for preparing pan

Dough:

1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1¾ cups white chocolate chips

1½ cups dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup grated orange zest (about 2 oranges)

Tip: See Toasting Nuts and Seeds. Use a citrus zester for fresh zest. Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales for accurate measuring.

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon grated orange zest (about half of 1 orange)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1/3 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon grated orange zest (about half of 1 orange)

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Prepare one 12x17x1 inch Jelly Roll pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening.
   
   Dough:
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla; use an electric mixer or wooden spoon and beat together until mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat until mixed. Add white chocolate chips, cranberries, pecans and orange zest; stir until mixed.
   
   Bake:
3. Spread the dough evenly in the jelly roll pan (dough will be stiff). Bake 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Leave cookie in pan to cool; place baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool.
   
   Frosting:
4. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioners sugar, butter, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and vanilla. Use an electric hand mixer or wooden spoon and beat together until mixture is smooth. Spread on cooled cookie.
   
   Topping:
5. In a small bowl, combine cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Sprinkle over frosting.
   
   
6. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the white chocolate chips; stir constantly until melted so chocolate does not burn. Drizzle melted chocolate over cookie.
   
   
7. When chocolate is set, cut into 3 inch squares; cut each square in half diagonally.
   
   Tip: My favorite tool to cut bar cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a pizza cutter or small kitchen knife to cut the cookie into bars.
   
   Makes about 4 dozen bars
   
   Tip: These bars can be baked in a 9 inch by 13 inch baking pan; bake about 35 minutes.
   
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