Meal Monday
Once upon a time when I
worked in an office, I had down time. In between assignments I would check my
email, IM with friends, and, as it was the mid-aughts, read blogs.
I quickly became
obsessed with food blogs. As a person who loves to cook and bake, it was a
great way to access home cook-approved recipes.
But I liked the blogs
for more than just the recipes. I liked the writing. I liked the personalities
behind the writing. Even though I never commented or reached out to any of
these bloggers, I felt camaraderie with them.
So I've been reading
Deb, Luisa, Heidi, and Molly (yes, we are on a first-name basis) for years.
While I got a lot of good recipes from them, they all got book deals.
Petty moment passes.
Fortunately for me, I
received The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook for my birthday. After marking almost
every page with these adorable vintage pattern page flags I also received for
my birthday, I started baking.
These Cranberry Crumb
Bars were up to usual Smitten Kitchen snuff. Easy, delicious, and beautiful to
boot, they are a fantastic and unexpected addition to any cookie swap, holiday
table, or teacher gift.
I may not have a book
deal, but I do have one kid who was willing to try the bars. And liked them. In some ways, it is
just as satisfying. Or so I tell myself.
Cranberry Crumb Bars
with Mulling Spices
Adapted from The Smitten
Kitchen Cookbook
Crumb Ingredients:
16 Tbsp (2 sticks)
unsalted butter, chilled
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
½ tsp table salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves
1 large egg
Filling Ingredients:
½ tsp freshly grated
orange zest
1 ½ Tbsp orange juice
3 cups (12-ounce bag)
fresh cranberries
¼ to ½ cup sugar
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375
degrees. Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and butter the
sides and the parchment. In a large, widish bowl, whisk together the flour,
sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices. With a pastry blender or fork, work the
chilled butter and egg into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles a
coarse meal. Pat half the crumb base into the bottom of your prepared pan; it
will be thin.
In the bowl of a food
processor or blender, briefly pulse the filling ingredients until the
cranberries are coarsely chopped but not pureed. Spread the filling over the
crumb base. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs evenly over the cranberry mixture.
Bake cookies for 30 to
35 minutes, or until lightly brown on top. Cool completely before cutting into
squares.
Note:
While the recipe calls
for ½ cup of sugar in the filling, I inadvertently only used ¼ cup and I think
they are fine. If you prefer your cranberries on the sweeter side, use Deb's
measurement.
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