Around this time of year, you start to see fresh cranberries go on sale. I get excited because I love these tart little berries when they’re added to baked goods. These Cranberry Almond Bars combine fresh, lightly sweetened cranberries with a crumbly almond crust. They are delicious for a snack, as a light dessert, or perhaps even a quick breakfast! Be warned… Before you know it, half of them will disappear because they are just so delicious!
Here is what you need… To make your own almond meal, pulse raw whole almonds in a food processor until finely ground. A heaping 3/4 cup of whole almonds will yield about 3/4 cup almond meal.
Grease a 9″x13″ pan and set it aside. In a bowl, combine the almond meal, flours, and sugar. Cut in the butter.
In a small bowl, beat together egg with extracts.
Add the egg to the butter mixture and stir until well combined. The mixture will be crumbly.
Set aside 1/2 cup of the mixture, and press the remaining mixture into the prepared baking pan, and set it aside.
In a sauce pan, combine the cranberries and honey. Heat this over medium low heat. Cook and stir about 5-8 minutes, until cranberries start to soften and release some of their juices.
Spread the cranberry filling over crust. Sprinkle the reserved topping over filling, then sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Then, you’ll reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees F, and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes. The filling will be bubbly and the topping will be a light golden brown.
Cool completely before cutting.
Cranberry Almond Bars
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 3/4 cup almond meal
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9"x13" pan and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the almond meal, flours, and sugar. Cut in butter. In a small bowl, beat together egg with extracts. Add to butter mixture and stir until well combined. Set aside 1/2 cup of mixture, and press remaining into prepared baking pan, and set aside.
- In a sauce pan, combine cranberries and honey. Heat and stir over medium low heat. Cook about 5-8 minutes, until cranberries start to soften and release some of their juices.
- Spread cranberry filling over crust. Sprinkle the reserved topping over filling, then sprinkle with sliced almonds.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until filling bubbles and topping is lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting.
