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Heavenly Cranberry Bars From Junior League of Seattle’s Celebrate the Rain Cookbook

1½ cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
2 teaspoons 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, chopped pecans
1/4 cup grated orange zest

WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3 tablespoons orange zest, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
6 ounces high quality white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly butter an 11- by 15-inch jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together the brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended, then stir in the chocolate chips, cranberries, pecans and orange zest. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan (it will be quite stiff) and bake until golden brown, about 20 to 22 minutes. (These bars can also be baked in a buttered 9- by 13-inch dish, increasing the baking time to about 30 minutes.) Set aside on a wire rack to cool.

For the frosting, cream together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, 1 tablespoon orange zest and vanilla in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Spread the mixture over the cooled base. Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons of orange zest with the dried cranberries in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture over the frosting. Melt the white chocolate in a small heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Drizzle the white chocolate over the bars and let sit until chocolate is set. Cut the bars into 3-inch squares and then diagonally into triangles. Makes 46 bars.

Recipe was originally published in Celebrate the Rain: Cooking With the Fresh & Abundant Flavors of the Pacific Northwest (Junior League of Seattle, 2004) and is reprinted with permission of the Junior League of Seattle.

The Junior League of Seattle, publisher of Celebrate the Rain and the award-winning Simply Classic cookbook, is an organization of women dedicated to promoting volunteerism and developing the potential of women. Founded in 1923, it is one of 292 leagues worldwide and now has over a thousand members. Proceeds from Junior League of Seattle’s cookbooks and other fundraising efforts support its educational and charitable initiatives. Over the past decade, it has provided over $1.5 million in funding and contributed more than one million volunteer hours to community projects.

©Copyright 2010, Caliope Publishing Company