Jingle Bell Bars
Servings: Serves 12
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks, whites reserved
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Topping:
12 oz fresh cranberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar, for topping
3 egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar, for egg mixture
1 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and set out a 9x13-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine butter and ½ cup sugar. Beat until light and airy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg yolks one at a time, then slowly add flour and salt, mixing until just combined.
Transfer the dough to the baking dish and use your hands to press into an even crust layer.
Bake crust for 13-15 minutes or until golden around the edges.
Prepare topping as crust bakes: Add cranberries to a medium-sized saucepan and cover with 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Drain off water, then set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until stiff peaks form. Slowly add ½ cup sugar while continuously beating until stiff peaks form again. Gently fold in chopped pecans.
Spread cranberries over crust, then sprinkle ⅓ cup sugar over them. Scoop egg white mixture over top and gently spread to edges.
Bake bars for 18-20 minutes or until the top is slightly golden.
Allow bars to cool for 10-15 minutes, then carefully slice into squares.
Allow bars to continue cooling to room temperature before removing from the pan and serving.
Recipe courtesy of 12 Tomatos.com
