Cranberry Crumb Bars with Mulling Spices

Crumb:

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), chilled, plus more at room temperature for the pan
• 3 c. (375 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
• 1 large egg

Filling:

• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest
• 1 1/2 T. orange juice
• 3 cups fresh cranberries
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 T. cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line the bottom of a 9x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, and butter the sides and the parchment.  In a large, widish bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices.  With a pastry blender or fork, work the chilled butter and the egg into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Pat half the crumb base into the bottom of your prepared pan; it will be thin.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, briefly pulse the filling ingredients until the berries are coarsely chopped but not pureed.  Spread the filling over the crumb base.  Sprinkle the remaining crumbs evenly over the cranberry mixture.

Bake cookies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.  Coll completely before cutting into squares.

Serves: 36 small rectangles.

VERDICT:  Very, very  easy, especially when John does the hard work of cutting in the butter.  I don't love these bars, but they're not bad.  Keep for ease of use and on-hand ingredients.  Also, I am in love with the I-can't-believe-I-never thought-it concept presented by Deb Perelman of weighing ingredients right in the mixing bowl, zeroing out the scale after each addition.  Genius!