Tag: dried cranberries

Skinny Cranberry Bliss Bars

A blondie cookie bar with chunks of white chocolate chips and dried cranberries, topped with sweet cream cheese icing, tart dried cranberries and white chocolate drizzle – perfect for the holidays!

I got a request this year to lighten Starbuck’s Cranberry Bliss Bars – this make-over turned out excellent! I was able to cut the fat and calories by more than HALF, yet they still taste indulgent. The original bar is 340 calories with 19 grams of fat; this lighter version is just 149 calories with 5 grams of fat (4 points plus).

Last year I attempted to make these light but didn’t have much success. I had used whole wheat flour and I believe that was my demise – it gave the bars an unpleasant texture and scent that I really didn’t enjoy.

This time I used Gold Metal all purpose flour and the results were excellent. This is dessert after all, and although I try to use whole grains in all my meals, it doesn’t always work when baking. If you need a dessert for a holiday party, these are great. Leave them refrigerated until ready to serve.

Skinny Cranberry Bliss Bars
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 30 • Size: 1 bar • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 149 • Fat: 5 g • Protein: 2 g • Carb: 24 g • Fiber: 0 g • Sugar: 17 g
Sodium: 47 mg • Cholesterol: 5 mg

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour (Gold Metal)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

For the Frosting:

8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 ounces white baking chocolate, melted*
1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch non-stick baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir to blend.

In another bowl, whisk the sugars with the butter, egg whites, applesauce and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions
until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more
“crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if
needed) until it smooths out.

Fold in white chocolate chips and 1/3 cup cranberries. Spread batter onto the baking pan using the back of a measuring cup to smooth evenly.

Bake 10 – 14 minutes, until the edges are light brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don’t over-bake or your bars will be dry. Let it cool completely on wire rack.
Meanwhile, prepare the frosting; in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until well-blended. Frost bars and sprinkle with remaining cranberries. Drizzle with the melted white chocolate.

*To melt the chocolate, place in a microwave safe cup and heat 15 seconds; stir. Another 15 seconds; stir until the chocolate is melted.

When the chocolate sets, cut into 15 large squares (5 cuts by 3 cuts with the knife). Then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

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Morning Maple Cranberry Pecan Oat Bars

Chewy bars with chunks of toasted pecans and dried cranberries combined with toasted oats, almond butter and pure maple syrup. I’m in LOVE with these bars!

I made these bars last week and I couldn’t wait to share them with you. I’ve been eating one every morning for breakfast (in fact I am having one now as I type this). These are by far, the best tasting bars I’ve ever had, they are chewy and have great texture, made with wholesome ingredients – one bar is a meal and it’s perfect to take on the go. They are also egg free, dairy free, vegan, and can be made gluten free if you use gf oats. Next time I make these, I plan on rolling them into smaller balls and turning them into healthy cookies instead.

The recipe is very slightly modified from the Power Hungry: Ultimate Energy Cookbook^[1]. Camilla really knows how to make great tasting breakfast bars, you may remember the banana split bars^[2] I made a few month back also from the same book.

You can use any type of mild flavored unsweetened nut butter, such as almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter. Peanut butter would also work perfectly well in this recipe, but it can overwhelm the flavor of the maple syrup. Toasting the oats and pecans adds tremendous flavor, but if you are in a hurry, you can skip this step.

Once made, individually and tightly wrap the bars in plastic wrap. Store the bars at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Alternatively, place the wrapped bars in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Let the frozen bars thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Maple Cranberry Morning Bars
Very slightly modified from the Power Hungry: Ultimate Energy Cookbook^[3]
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 16 • Size: 1 bar • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 228 • Fat: 13 g • Protein: 5 g • Carb: 27 g • Fiber: 4 g • Sugar: 12 g
Sodium: 46 mg • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Ingredients:

cooking spray
2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats (gluten-Free, if needed)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped (by hand or in food processor)
1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (I used almond breeze)
1/2 cup multigrain hot cereal, use GF, if needed (I used Bobs Red Mill 10 Grain)
1 cup natural, unsweetened almond butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper and then spray with nonstick spray.

Spread the oats and pecans on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes, shaking halfway through, until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a large bowl; add the chopped cranberries.

Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Stir in the multi-grain cereal and remove from the heat; let stand for 2 minutes. Add the nut or seed butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Cook and stir the mixture over low heat for 6 to 7 minutes or until thickened; remove from the heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Immediately add the cereal mixture to the oats mixture, mixing with a spatula until coated.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and flatten with the back of a measuring cup.

Place a large piece of parchment paper or wax paper atop the bar mixture and use it to spread, flatten, and very firmly compact the bars evenly in the pan. Cool completely. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.

Using the liner, lift the mixture from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Peel off the foil or parchment and cut into 16 bars.

References

^{^} Power Hungry: Ultimate Energy Cookbook (www.amazon.com)
^{^} banana split bars (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Power Hungry: Ultimate Energy Cookbook (www.amazon.com)

Cranberry Stuffed Game Hens – Honey, I Shrunk the Turkey

You may be wondering why I’m posting a Thanksgiving-themed video in the middle of summer. It’s a great question – I even annoyed myself with this way-too-early reminder of things to come – but I do have a great explanation.

As some of you may know, I write a quarterly article for Allrecipes Magazine, which requires producing the content months in advance, and this cranberry stuffed game hen recipe is going to be my item in the November issue. And yes, you should buy the magazine anyway.

If you’re cooking for a smaller group during the holidays, game hens are a fantastic way to downsize, without losing any of the special occasion feel. What we have is basically a miniaturized version of the traditional holiday turkey, featuring an easy, walnut bread and dried cranberry stuffing.

If you’ve never worked with game hens before, they’re very user friendly. Even stuffed to excess, they only roast for about an hour in a hot oven, and as long as you don’t overcook them (use a thermometer!), you’ll be enjoying the kind of juicy, flavorful meat that people cooking Turkey only dream of.

As far as portioning goes, half a bird makes a nice serving, but I suggest doing one hen per person. I’m sorry, but regardless of bird-size, a holiday meal without leftovers is just not a holiday meal. So, whether you’re looking for a smaller, more manageable menu, or just want to feel bigger in proportion to your poultry, I hope you give these “micro turkeys” a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Cranberry & Walnut Stuffed Game Hens

(Makes 2 whole or 4 half portions)

2 whole game hens (about 1 1/4 pounds each), fully dressed, and seasoned with salt to taste

For the stuffing:

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 tbsp chopped green onions

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups toasted, crispy walnut bread cubes

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 tsp dried sage

1 tsp freshly minced rosemary

1 large egg, beaten

For the sauce:

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup fresh cranberries

2/3 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

– Roast at 400 degrees F. oven for about an hour or until the internal temperature in the middle of the thigh is 160 F. Let rest, covered loosely in foil for about 10 minutes, while the sauce is completed.