Apple Cranberry Bars

November 29, 2012 | 2 Comments

My wonderful In-Laws are visiting for a couple weeks before they fly off to Taiwan to see my Brother and Sister In Law, and their two beautiful children. I am so excited to have them here. I love so many things about my In Laws, I cannot possible name them all, so I will limit myself to three things. I love that they get to play with, and spend quality time with our girls, who absolutely love their Mom mom and Pop pop. I also really love cooking with them, and feeding them.

Both of Dominic’s parents love to cook, and eat delicious food, and have thankfully passed those loves to their children. Dominic and his siblings grew up on homemade meals that were created with thoughtfulness, care and love, and steeped in tradition. I am really excited because my Mother in Law is going to teach me how to make some of her traditional Holiday recipes while she is here visiting.

I looked in the refrigerator today and saw a half bag of fresh cranberries left over from last weeks scones, and this weeks cookies. I have been on a fresh cranberry kick lately, and realized I have not yet made bars with cranberries yet, so I decided there was no time like the present.

I have about six really ripe bananas, so originally I was going to add some mashed banana to the bar, for added moistness. I looked over at a Fuji apple on the counter, and my MIL and I decided that apples and cranberries are a better pairing. I peeled and chopped the Fuji apple and tossed it in 1/8 cup of orange juice, so the chopped apple would not brown. I will have to think a little more about the bananas, and of course, there is always banana bread in our future.

I used a cup of fresh cranberries for this recipe, and it was the perfect amount.

I sprinkled some pumpkin pie spice and dark brown sugar over the top of the batter before I placed it in the oven.

Look how beautifully lumpy and bumpy this cake is, and how the cranberries burst and are almost jam-like in these bars. Spot on combination with the apples

This recipe is adapted from the October 2011 issue of Family Circle’s Apple Raisin Bars. I hope you bake and enjoy these with your family and friends during the holidays, and beyond. I am thrilled to be linking up with Angela at Cottage Magpie and Domestic Fashionista, in their Holiday Recipes Linky Parade.

Apple Cranberry Bars

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Jillian

Serves: 12

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup(1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large crisp apple peeled, cored and chopped(I used a fuji)
1/8 cup orange juice(for soaking apples so they do not turn brown)
1 cup whole fresh cranberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter 13 x 9 inch baking pan
Add chopped apples to orange juice to soak(so apples do not get brown)
Whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and sea salt in medium bowl
in large bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla until smooth(I used a hand mixer)
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and fold to combine
Drain apples, and drink or toss OJ
Add cranberries and chopped apples to batter
Stir to combine
Scoop out thick batter into prepared baking pan
Push batter gently into corners of pans
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick clean
Cool completely
Enjoy with or without a dollop of freshly whipped cream, or ice cream

B007NR4E00,B0009J4YAE,B000QRB1GE,B000HAXP82

Tags: apple cranberry bars, cinnamon, crisp apple, festive, fresh cranberries, fresh squeezed orange juice, fuji, holiday, Holiday treat, organic unsalted butter, sea salt, tradition, traditional holiday recipes

Categories: Desserts, Holiday Recipes, Potluck Recipes

2 Responses so far.

Sonja says:

September 1, 2014 at 6:00 pm

The recipe doesn’t call for cinnamon but the directions say to add cinnamon…they also don’t say where the OJ comes in….

Reply
- Jillian says:
  
  September 15, 2014 at 6:06 pm
  
  Hi Sonja, thanks for bringing this to my attention. I added cinnamon and let everyone know that the oj is just for briefly soaking the chopped apples so they don’t turn brown. The oj also imparts more holiday flavor. I hope you make these bars, they are really delicious!!!! I hope you keep reading my blog, making the recipes and taking time to leave comments.
  
  Reply