They’re really and truly just “White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies,” but if you’re a Starbucks fan… they’re clearly Cranberry Bliss Bars. Oh, and if you’re really a Starbucks fan, you’ll like my post that shows you How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Latte. I love to bake. And if I’ve been baking, then you should know that it’s because of one of these 5 reasons: 1. I’ve developed or discovered a recipe that I have to try ASAP. 2. It’s raining. 3. I’m falling off the diet wagon 4. I’m baking for something or someone 5. Depression has set in, and baking cheers me up! Lucky for me, 98.9% of the time it’s #1. The past week has been a roller coaster of emotions. I attended to my Mother in the hospital post-surgery each day. My 10 year old got an opportunity to play quarterback and throw an exciting touchdown pass, and that was fun to watch. I lost a parking structure voucher and had to pay the maximum fine. I received emails with great opportunities attached. Flat tire! I managed to create a handful of really yummy recipes for my cookbook. I gained a pound. And I got in some good snuggle time with my 10-year-old boy, who made me pancakes on Sunday morning.
I hate being emotional. I guess it makes me human. It makes owning DiorShow Waterproof Mascara absolutely essential. For some reason, feeling all weepy and weird usually makes me feel like baking (which is probably why I gained a pound). These Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars are the sort of bar that is the ultimate in comfort. I kind of wanted to just pick up the whole SLAB and just take one big, fat, messy bite.
These bars are topped with a white-chocolate-cream cheese frosting. They’re sprinkled with dried cranberries and drizzled with white chocolate squiggles. Starbuck’s version of Cranberry Bliss Bars adds an orange zest element to it. I’m not into that, so I left it out. But you can certainly add it back in!!
The first layer is blondie-like- so sweet, soft-ish, but firm- and a great base for this bar. There’s white chocolate and dried cranberries mixed into the base too.
Triangles seem like the obvious shape to cut these into. They’re much prettier than “squares,” I think.
I must say that these Cranberry Bliss Bars might cheer up even the gloomiest of people. I’m not even a huge fan of white chocolate, and I could have eaten a whole bunch of this stuff. So yeah, they’re really, really good. Starbucks Good. Maybe better than SBux. I forgot to mention a few more bright sides of my week- that the barking dog neighbors are moving out and our good friends are moving in, that I got 8 beautiful new cookbooks in the mail, and that I brainstormed some delightful new ideas for recipes coming up soon on the blog. Life is good, it’s just sometimes full of roller-coaster moments. I just need to remind myself of that when life gets weird- make a cup of hot chocolate overflowing with marshmallows (spike it, if need be), relax, and accept the oodles of hugs and love that my husband showers me with daily. I’m one lucky girl. And I love to bake! If you lived near me, you’d get stuff. Good stuff. Yummy stuff. Stuff I don’t want to eat but I do, and then I’m desperately looking for someone to give it to (like these bars).
Here are a few more holiday bar recipes you might enjoy:
Gingerbread Bars Eggnog Sugar Cookie Bars Maple Pecan Bars Cranberry Walnut Bars No Bake Chocolate Mint Bars
