DESSERT // CRANBERRY BARS WITH A CREAM CHEESE TOPPING RECIPE

The holidays should be a time of joy and happiness spent with your loved ones. However, they can also turn into a period of stress due to planning endless dinners and parties. Luckily, we have the perfect recipe for you to keep your stress to a minimum! We have created Cranberry Bars With Cream Cheese Topping that will seriously impress your friends and family.

Made in the Best Friends For Frosting Test Kitchen, this dessert did not last very long! We can safely tell you this is one of the best recipes in the BFFF recipe box. It tastes spot-on for the holiday season, which makes us love it even more. It is exactly like the popular white chocolate & cranberry bar that is sold at one of the most famous coffee shops, found on every corner… Bingo! That’s the one!

Because we used Philadelphia Cream Cheese, nothing else tastes like these dessert bars! Made with fresh milk and real cream, the cream cheese topping adds that extra flavor that is missing from other recipes you may have come across for the holidays. Philadelphia Cream Cheese is made without preservatives, which allows you to enjoy this delicious dessert without the guilt! Score!

This dessert is amazing and doesn’t take too much effort, allowing you to focus more on your friends and family than baking. You can either serve these at your own Christmas dinner or wrap them individually and take them as hostess gifts! The gorgeous aesthetic makes the bars look like they took much more time than they actually did. You can continue to make this recipe throughout the holiday season; they truly are perfect for any occasion! Check out our delicious and easy recipe below:

CRANBERRY BARS WITH CREAM CHEESE TOPPING

Makes: 12 to 15 bars

Blondie layer:

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter,  room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

• 8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup melted white chocolate chips
• 4 oz melted white chocolate (for drizzling on top)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, diced (for garnish)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon orange zest

1. In a mixer, blend 2 tablespoons softened butter and 8-ounce brick of Philadelphia Cream Cheese until smooth.
2. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and mix until uniform. Add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup melted white chocolate chips, and 1/2 tablespoon orange zest. Mix until uniform.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixer, or by hand, combine 1 cup of butter with 1 1/2 cups brown sugar until smooth. Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 eggs, and mix.
4. In a separate bowl, mix 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until uniform.
5. Little by little, blend dry mixture with wet mixture until smooth. To mixture, add 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1 cup white chocolate chips, and mix until uniform.
6. Spray a 13-by-9 inch baking pan with nonstick oil and press mixture into pan corner to corner to form a uniform layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then cool. Once cooled, flip pan over and remove the layer as a whole. Be careful not to break it.
7. Frost the top with cream cheese frosting, sprinkle with dried cranberries, and drizzle with melted white chocolate.
8. Put in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden bars, which makes them easier to cut. Remove from freezer and cut triangle-shaped bars to your desired size, and serve.

Thanks to Philadelphia Cream Cheese for allowing me to partner with them to come up with some fun and delicious recipes! I had a blast. The Cranberry Bars With Cream Cheese topping were a huge hit! Do you have any favorite holiday recipes using Philadelphia Cream Cheese? I’d love to hear your favorites in the comments below. For some additional inspiration, click here.