Day Twelve: Cranberry Walnut Bars Recipe

Day 12 of the PammiCakes 12 Days of Christmas Indulgences brings you Cranberry Walnut Bars!

The combination of cranberries and orange is such an amazing match.  They work perfectly together in these bars with the walnut and butter base.  My family loves to make these bars for many occasions and they are always a crowd pleaser. 

Cranberry Walnut Bars Recipe

Preheat oven 350^o

1 3/4 cups walnuts

2 cups flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 sticks cold butter – cut into chunks

1/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut

2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

In a food processor, coarsely chop ½ cup of the walnuts.  Place in a small bowl and set aside.

Again, in the food processor, pulse remaining 1 ¼ cups walnuts, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter until dough clumps together.

Add 1 cup of dough into the small bowl with the reserved walnuts.  Add shredded coconuts.  Mix together and form small clumps.

Take remaining dough and pat it into the bottom of a 9X13 pan lined with parchment paper.  This is the base of the bars.

In a second small bowl, mix together the cranberry sauce and orange zest.  Pour the cranberry sauce over the dough in the 9X13 pan.  Then, sprinkle the walnut coconut mixture on top. 

Bake for 40 minutes or until the top browns.  Allow to cool completely in pan on a rack before cutting.  Lift the parchment paper and bars out of the pan before cutting.