Cranberry bars

18 Bars

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
2cupsAll-purpose flour
2teaspoonsBaking powder
Pinch of salt
½cupButter or margarine, at room
Temperature
½cupSugar
1tablespoonVegetable oil
1largeEgg
2teaspoonsVanilla
1cupSugar
1teaspoonVanilla
1tablespoonCornstarch
½cupWater
2cupsCranberries
½cupChopped dried figs
1teaspoonGrated orange rind
1tablespoonGrand Marnier
cupHazelnuts, chopped

Directions

DOUGH

FILLING

For Dough: Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and oil. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until dough feels quite firm. Wrap half the dough in plastic wrap and freeze for about 30 minutes. Press remaining dough evenly on bottom of 13x9-inch shallow baking pan; place in freezer.

For Filling: In heavy saucepan, combine all the filling ingredients except hazelnuts; bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for about 8 minutes or until mixture has thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in hazelnuts; let cool.

Spread cranberry filling evenly over dough in baking pan. Remove doug from freezer and grate coarsely; sprinkle over top of cranberry filling. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and the sides have pulled away from pan. Place on rack and immediately run a knife around the edge of pan. Leave for 20 minutes, then cut into bars and let cool completely.

Makes 18 bars. Origin: Cooking with fruit by Rolce Redard Payne and Dorrit Speyer Senior

Source: The Vancouver Sun Sept 21/94 From the collection of Karen Deck