Ingredients
3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 large egg
1/4 cup (60ml) milk*
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
optional: 1/3 cup (30g) sliced almonds
4 cups (400g) fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 Tablespoon (15g) fresh orange juice
2 Tablespoons (30ml) fresh orange juice
1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
Step 2
Make the crumble mixture for the crust and topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and using a pastry cutter, two forks, or a food processor, cut in the butter until all the flour is coated and resembles pea-sized crumbles. (See photo above for a visual.) This takes at least 5 minutes of cutting in with a pastry cutter.
Step 3
Whisk the egg, milk, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour over the flour/butter mixture and gently mix together until the mixture resembles moist crumbly sand. See photo above for a visual.
Step 4
You will have about 6 cups of the crust/crumble mixture. Set 2 cups aside. Pour the remaining into the prepared pan and flatten down with your hands or a flat spatula to form an even crust. It will be a little crumbly—that’s ok. Set aside. (Almonds will be used in the topping in the next step.)
Step 5
Cranberry Filling: Mix all of the cranberry filling ingredients together. Spread over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture all over the cranberries. Sprinkle the almonds all over top.
Step 6
Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out mostly clean (with a few jammy cranberry specks!). Mine take about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. After about 1 hour, I stick the whole pan in the refrigerator to help speed things up.
Step 7
Make the icing and cut into squares: Whisk the icing ingredients together. Add more orange juice to thin out, if desired. Drizzle over cooled bars, then cut into squares.
Step 8
Cover and store leftover cranberry bars (with or without icing) at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
©sally'sbakingrecipe