Gluten Free Cranberry Bars with Orange Drizzle

Cranberry sauce...that Thanksgiving tradition that you are sure to have leftovers of, am I right?  As a kid, I didn't really see the point of it. But now I really love it. I like a bit with each bite of turkey. I'd say I even prefer it to gravy. 

Well, folks, cranberry sauce has another important purpose. A purpose that can be fulfilled year-round, if desired. That purpose is as the filling of these scrumptious bars. 

I have a friend who has a gluten and soy intolerance, and I wanted to do something special for her. I have a recipe for cranberry bars that is basically a shortbread crust, with cranberry sauce and a crumble top. I adapted that recipe to make this one. It's the kind of recipe that might make you want to become gluten-free, just for the heck of it. It is that good.

These are the only non-pantry-staples this recipe calls for.  Be sure to get the "Whole Berry" can of cranberry sauce. The Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Shortbread Cookie Mix was at my Fred Meyer (Kroger family) grocery store. It was about $2 for the bag. You'll also need an orange, butter, 2 egg yolks, water, milk, and powdered sugar.

The little orange flecks are bits of orange zest. Cranberry + orange = WIN. 

Here's the recipe: 

Gluten Free Cranberry Bars with Orange Drizzle

Makes 15 large square bars

Ingredients

Bars: 

1 21-oz package Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Shortbread Cookie Mix

1.5 sticks (3/4 cup) softened butter

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons water

1 14-16oz can whole berry cranberry sauce

Drizzle:

zest of 1 medium orange

3 tablespoons milk

1 2/3 cups powdered sugar

Directions for Bars

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare 9"x13" baking dish with butter or cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, egg yolks, and water. Mix in Cookie Mix well. Mixture will be dry and crumbly. 

3. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the baking dish. Press it slightly up on the sides to form a short wall. 

4. Spread the cranberry sauce evenly over the pressed cookie mix. Sprinkle remaining cookie mixture over the cranberry sauce. 

5. Place in center of oven and bake 25 minutes. Cool, then use a pastry bag with a small round tip (or a sandwich bag with a cut corner)to top with Orange Drizzle.

Directions for Orange Drizzle

Mix orange zest and milk in a small mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. 

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Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

Aren't these fun?!  My mom gave me a cookbook ("Prize Winning Recipes from Current Customers") years ago that had a recipe similar to this one .  I adapted the recipe (called "Bowl of Berries") to create these Strawberry Shortbread Cookies. 

I could hardly keep my daughter's little hands away the entire time I was making these. She is usually my little helper, but today she just wanted to taste the entire time. (Except the green stems--she had no interest in those.) 

These are truly a shortbread--no eggs or leavening (baking powder/soda)--but with a strawberry twist. They melt in your mouth. And they are a joy to present because they look so darn cute.

AND...they are easy to make. Here's how:

Soak slivered white nuts (almonds, peanuts, or even pecans if you want to sliver them), in 1/3 cup water with 4 drops of green food coloring in it. I soaked mine while I was a church so 3+ hours, but I think 1 hour will be plenty of time. 

Drain the green nuts and let them dry on some paper towels.

Make the shortbread dough. Refrigerate it 30 minutes. Then divide it into 32-36 portions (mine made 32, but I had little friends tasting the dough a bit along the way. I may have tasted some too...after all, no eggs!). Roll the portions into balls, then taper one end to make a strawberry-ish shape. As you can see, perfection with the shape is optional. 

Now prepare two bowls of sugar sprinkles for rolling--one red and one green. Roll the dough into the red to coat all but the top. Dip the top in the green. Stick a green nut sliver into the middle of the green top.

Here they are all ready to go into the oven. They should be 1 inch apart from each other on the baking pan. I used a new silicone baking mat I ordered a while back from Pick Your Plum. It is pretty awesome, and I don't get paid for saying that. These cookies cooked beautifully, evenly, and didn't stick at all (no cooking spray required)--which is amazing since they were coated in sugar. 

Bake at 375° for 12-14 minutes.  They do grow a little (despite no eggs or leavening). A couple of mine ran into each other, but didn't stick together at all when I removed them from the pan (phew!).

A fun, delicious summer shortbread cookie that is a sure hit! Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

Stems:

1/3 cup slivered nuts (almonds, peanuts, or other white nut)

1/3 cup water

4 drops green food coloring

Cookies:

1 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 of a 3oz package of strawberry Jello

3/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

Red sugar sprinkles 

Green sugar sprinkles

Directions

1. Place nuts into water in a small glass bowl. Add food coloring. Let sit 1 hour, or until nuts are tinted green.

2. Beat butter, powdered sugar, Jello, and vanilla in a bowl until creamy. Slowly beat in flour until evenly mixed.  Chill dough 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 375°.  Divide dough into 32-36 pieces. Roll pieces into balls, then taper one end to form a strawberry-like shape.

4. Put red sprinkles in one small bowl and green in another. Roll the dough in the red sprinkles around the sides and bottom, then dip in the green on the top. Stick one green nut sliver into the center of each green top.

5. Place on a non-stick or parchment lined baking sheet 1 inch apart. Bake 12-14 minutes.

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