Or, what I like to call Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bars. You’re going to have leftover cranberry sauce in a few weeks, this much I know. I’m not sure why we keep insisting on making large batches of cranberry sauce, when in reality, people take approximately 1.73 teaspoons of cranberry sauce per pound of turkey on their plate. I’m not complaining about leftover cranberry sauce one bit. I like to swirl it into my small cheesecake recipe (oh please make that with a gingersnap crust!). I like a big scoop of it on a grilled cheese made with Brie (also leftover from the cheese tray on Turkey Day!). And while I don’t eat much pork, this recipe for cranberry pork chops is a good one–I stocked my freezer with two batches of it just days before I went into labor. I might have just talked you into making a big batch of cranberry sauce. I made these cranberry bars in a loaf pan with 1 ½ cups of leftover cranberry sauce. Scale up or down as you need. The only thing not up for debate with this recipe is the powdered sugar sprinkle. Have a heavy hand, without apologies.
What kind of cranberry sauce can I use to make these cranberry bars?
I feel like I should say that the success of your cranberry bars depends on how good your cranberry sauce is. Fresh cranberry sauces and compotes made with apples, oranges, and nuts are all welcome here. Personally, I make my cranberry sauce with orange zest, Cointreau and a heavy dose of vanilla bean. I highly recommend it, but just in case you don’t make it my way, go ahead and stir in a little vanilla extract into your leftover sauce. But, really, you do you–make your family’s favorite sauce (just please don’t crack a can), and then press the leftovers on top of my small batch shortbread crust. It’s going to be great! If you still find yourself with too many bags of cranberries, you have to make my slow cooker cranberry butter. I hope these cranberry bars give you something to do with all of that leftover cranberry sauce! If you have leftover dried cranberries, make my cranberry orange cookies!
