Cranberry Crumb Bars

5 steps · 45 min total

1. 01

   Prepare Dough and Filling Base

   Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, all-purpose flour, almond meal, salt, and baking powder.

   Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg until the mixture is crumbly, like coarse sand. (If you prefer, you can pulse the dry ingredients with the butter in a food processor until pebbly, then mix in the egg until it just comes together.) Press half of this crumbly dough evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan. In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and orange juice for the filling base.

2. 02

   Add Cranberries

   Stir the cranberries into the filling base until they're well coated.
3. 03

   Layer Cranberry Filling

   Evenly sprinkle the cranberry mixture over the dough pressed into the pan.
4. 04

   Add Crumb Topping

   Add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to the remaining dough, then crumble it over the berries to form the top layer.
5. 05

   Bake and Chill

   Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is a light golden brown. Let the bars cool completely on a wire rack, then chill them in the refrigerator before cutting into squares. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.