Recipe: Cranberry Crumble Bars

December 2020

Crust and topping:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup ground slivered almonds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chilled butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling:

• 4 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• Juice of half an orange (4 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch pan.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, 1 cup sugar, almonds, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter, using a pastry blender or pulling 2 table knives through the ingredients in opposite directions, until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the egg. Press 2 1/2 cups of this crumb mixture in the bottom of the pan. Stir cinnamon into the remaining crumb mixture. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the filling ingredients. Spoon the filling evenly over the crust. Spoon the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the filling.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until the top is light golden brown. Cool completely. Refrigerate until chilled. Cut into squares (about 6 lengthwise, 4 across). Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.