Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
Our home is full of Starbuck's-like cranberry bliss bars today after a mid-day baking spree with Brooke, my 4-year-old. Great change of pace from the cookies I'm used to making for open houses! We are spending our holiday this year entertaining the kids with some old school favorite ideas. If you are in town near Keller, TX, for the holidays and entertaining your kiddos on break from school, join us for some simple and economical fun!
Bowling -- But get there early, especially on weekends. And by early I mean we were too late at 10:30 a.m. yesterday! Lanes full! So we opted for a movie instead. We'll hit the bowling alley later this week, but earlier!
Movies -- We saw Yogi Bear. It's a simple little movie and it's 3D at most theaters, so if you planned on a $5 matinee, nope, try more like $11 on those imax versions! But it entertained everyone from 3 years old to 12. OK, I didn't fall alseep, either! "Life's a Pic-a-nic!" And Polar Express at the Fort Worth Omni Imax is awesome, too. Again, times aren't always right online. Hint -- call ahead and make sure!
Skating -- So we were too late to bowl at 10:30, but we were way too early to skate. Roller World didn't open Saturday 'til 2:00. We'll try that one another day, too. Maybe with all these days out we will make the right thing at the right time! Let the good times roll...
Baking -- All year long I sort-of dread kiddie help in the kitchen because of the mess. I find frosting for days after. But when the business calls are light and the kids are not in school, it's the perfect recipe -- time for both the baking and the clean-up! So we found the Starbuck's-like cranberry bliss bar recipe a fun one to share. Here is our version:
CAKE
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups dried cranberries
6 ounces white chocolate morsels
FROSTING
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup diced dried cranberries
DRIZZLED ICING
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make cake by beating butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in flour until smooth. Mix 3/4 cups dried cranberries and white chocolate into the batter by hand. Pour batter into greased 9x13'' baking pan. Spread evenly across the pan. Bake about 35 minutes or until cake is light brown on the edges. Allow cake to cool.
Make frosting by combining softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cake is cool, spread frosting over the top. Sprinkle 1/4 cup dried cranberries over the frosting. This is the easiest, cleanest part if you only want the kiddo in on the easy, safe job!
Make drizzle icing by whisking together powdered sugar, milk and shortening. Drizzle icing over frosting and cranberries. I used the old-timy easy method in the ziplock baggie with a pin hole in the corner to drizzle it over the cake.
Allow cake to sit for several hours and then slice it. Or make them cupcake-style like we did.
With all the time I spend at Starbuck's meeting friends and clients for coffee (and this cranberry bliss bar!), I thought I was hot stuff getting this recipe going in the comfort of my own home this holiday. Hope you have a fun time with your family, too... this precious time is what a holiday is aaaalll about! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Ueckert Realty!
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