Cranberry Bliss Bars

 photo credit: http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com

Cranberry Bliss Bars

original recipe: http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/cranberry-bliss-bars/

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks/cubes butter, softened
• 1 1/4 C brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp ground powder ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 C flour
• 1/4 C minced dried cranberries
• 1/4 C quality white chocolate.  I used a Lindt white chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 C minced candied ginger

Frosting:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp grated orange rind

Drizzle:

• 2 Tbsp minced dried cranberries
• 1/3 C white chocolate, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 pan
Beat together butter and sugar and then add eggs and vanilla beating until light and fluffy.  Add flour, powdered ginger and salt.  Beat well.  Fold in the cranberries, chocolate chunks and minced candied ginger.  Spread batter in pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown.
After cake cools, mix all frosting ingredients together and spread over top of cake.  Sprinkle with minced cranberries.  Use a cake decorating bag of melted chocolate with a small round decorating tip to drizzle the chocolate over the cake.  Cut into bars.