Baking My Way: White Chocolate Cranberry Bars

Have you ever tried the cranberry bliss bar at Starbucks? Well I love that bar, but don't get it very often because, well I could each tons of it, so it was almost just as bad when I made this recipe the other day. I took it to a friends and thankfully everyone else liked it too and I didn't come home with much.

This bar is super rich, very chocolaty and chewy gooey good. it's almost exactly like the one from Starbucks but thankfully I have the rest of this Baking My Way challenge to go through before I'll allow myself to bake this again.

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all purpose or unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (12-oz.) pkg. (2 cups) white vanilla chips
1 tablespoon shortening

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, extending foil over sides of pan. Grease foil. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well.

In separate large bowl, combine brown sugar, sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla; blend well. Gradually add flour mixture; blend at low speed just until combined. Fold in cranberries, walnuts and 1 1/2 cups of the vanilla chips. (Reserve remaining chips for topping). Spread batter in greased foil-lined pan.

Bake at 350°F. for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

In small saucepan over low heat, melt reserved 1/2 cup vanilla chips and shortening, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over warm bars. Cool completely. Cut into bars.