🍒 Cranberry Shortbread Bars

Here’s a festive and buttery Cranberry Shortbread Bars recipe — a perfect balance of tart cranberry filling and tender, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread. Great for holidays or anytime you want a sweet-tart treat!

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🍒 Cranberry Shortbread Bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40–45 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: ~2 hours
Servings: 12–16 bars

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📝 Ingredients:

Shortbread Crust & Topping:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cranberry Filling:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• ½ cup orange juice (or water)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thicker filling)
• Zest of 1 orange (optional, but highly recommended)

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👩‍🍳 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9″ pan with parchment paper.
2. Make the cranberry filling:
   In a saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and zest. Simmer over medium heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring, until berries burst and mixture thickens. Stir in cornstarch if needed. Cool slightly.
3. Make the shortbread dough:
   Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla, then mix in flour and salt until a soft dough forms.
4. Assemble:
   • Press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of your prepared pan.
   • Spread the cranberry filling over the crust.
   • Crumble the remaining 1/3 of dough on top (uneven crumbles are fine).
5. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
   Cool completely before cutting into bars.

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✅ Tips:

• Bars cut best when chilled — refrigerate 1–2 hours before slicing.
• Add chopped pecans or white chocolate chips to the top layer for a twist.
• Store in the fridge up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.