Cranberry Bliss Bars Recipe (Starbucks Copycat)

I have to admit these bars from Starbucks look divine. Problem is that they're only offered for a short time, cost a pretty penny, and not an option for those of us with dietary laws. I looked up the ingredients on Starbuck's site. This is my take on the bars minus all the preservatives. Starbucks is even marketing a box of six of these as holiday gifts. This recipe makes a fresh, homemade, economical alternative! 

BARS
1 cup butter room temp.
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

FROSTING
3 ounces cream cheese room trmp
2 tablespoons butter room temp
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

TOPPING
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1  tablespoon grated orange rind
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon canola oil


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 X 13 pan with parchment paper.

BARS: With a mixer, beat together butter and sugar 3-5 minutes until smooth; gently blend in eggs and vanilla extract. Add flour, baking powder, and ginger and beat until just mixed. Add the cranberries and chips, stirring just until mixed.
Spread thick batter in prepared pan. Bake 350 for 20-25 minutes until golden. Don't bake too long or your bars will be dry and crispy. Let cool. 

FROSTING: Blend cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla extract and confectioners sugar and beat until frosting is fluffy and spreadable. Spread over bars.

TOPPING: Sprinkle 1/3 cup dried cranberries and orange zest over frosted bars. Melt white chocolate and oil in a glass measuring cup. Microwave 1 minute; stirring every 15 seconds until melted. Use a fork to drizzle the white chocolate across the bars.

Put bars in the fridge one hour to set. To make triangles, cut into 20 large squares. Then cut each square in half diagonally.

Makes 40 smaller triangles or 20 larger squares