Cranberry, Orange, and Clove Shortbread Bars

Cranberries. Nothing screams holiday season in Maine more than these wonderful, tart berries!

I use them in everything around this time: cookies, upside-down cakes, jams, tart and basically anything I can put a cranberry in….I do. 

Another thing that screams holiday season for me is oranges with whole cloves poked in them. It’s a tradition that my mum started with me when I was young, and I still continue it as an adult. The smell of orange and clove creates such a warm and loving feeling for me that I knew I wanted to incorporate both flavors into a festive dessert.

I started with my lemon bar recipe and thought, I could make orange bars instead right? Add some cloves for nostalgia? Some cranberries for some sparkle and color? That sounds like perfection in a 9X13 for me.

Here are some tips and tricks to make this these little beauties!

To make your clove shortbread crust it helps to use a food processor if you have one! It goes so much faster then cutting in the butter by hand.

Bake your crust first before making your fillings! Make sure it’s GBS! Which in official baking terms means, Golden Brown and Sexy. It doesn’t have to be GBS all over, just on the edges. Like an early summer glow not an, “I used too much baby oil in August” situation. 

Another crust tip before you bake it is to press it down flat with the bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass.

Make sure to whisk all of your orange filling ingredients together until everything is incorporated, and make sure that there are no lumps or bumps. To get an extra-delish filling, buy some oranges, and use the fresh juice.

Use a glass pan and don’t grease it! There is so much butter in the shortbread that it won’t stick. You can also use parchment if you would like.  Once your bars are completely done, pop them in the fridge overnight and they will be very easy to cut them the next day. 

Cranberries are generally sold in grocery store starting before Thanksgiving, and every once in awhile they go on sale. Once they go on sale, I buy multiple bags and throw them in the freezer. Freezing the cranberries does not effect how they will bake in products, so grab them while you can!

While you are cooking the cranberries, try smooshing them on the side on the pot. It helps your berries cook down faster and gives you a smoother filling at the end (and it’s fun to pop them). 

When it’s time to build your bars, start with the cranberry filling first and then add the orange filling on top of that. Spread out the cranberry filling until it is as smooth as you can make it, that way you end up with even layers when it’s finished baking. 

Cranberry, Orange, and Clove Shortbread Bars

Angelique Tamburo

These are the perfect festive treats for holiday bake sales, get togethers, or a gift for anyone on your holiday shopping list. While this recipe has three parts, it is a simple and fun way to spread some holiday cheer in this crazy year. 

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Servings 12 Bars

Ingredients

  

Clove Shortbread Crust

• 1/2 pound butter or two sticks
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 2 Cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest
• 2 teaspoons ground clove

Orange Filling

• 4 eggs plus 2 yolks
• 3 Cups sugar
• 2 T orange zest
• 1 Cup orange juice
• 1 Cup flour

Cranberry Filling

• 3 Cups Cranberries Which is about one bag
• 2/3 Cup of sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Finishing Touch

• Confectioners Sugar For dusting

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• Place all of the crust ingredients into a food processor and blend together until it looks like sand. If you pick up some in your hand and squeeze, it should hold its shape. Dump mixture into your 9X13 glass pan and press it down flat with the bottom of a cup or glass. Try and make sure your crust has an even thickness. Bake crust for ten minutes then rotate and bake for another ten minutes, until light brown. Let cool slightly.
• For the orange filling, whisk together all of the orange filling ingredients until well incorporated.
• For the cranberry filling, place all cranberry filling ingredients into a small pot and cook until thick.
• Once your fillings are finished being made, layer the cranberry filling on top of your baked clove shortbread crust and smooth out. Re-whisk your orange filling and then pour on top of the cranberry layer.
• Very carefully place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then rotate. Bake for 20 more minutes. Once it has been in the oven for a total of 40 minutes, jiggle the baking pan. If you bars are still semi liquid, add ten more minutes. If after ten minutes they are still jiggly, continue to add time in five minute increments until set.
• Let cool and cut into squares. I cut my 9×13 pan into twelve squares. Dust with confectioners sugar before serving.