Simple, delicious, and pretty on a cookie platter!

It’s March. I cleaned out my fridge the other day, and way in back, I found a package of fresh (not so much anymore) cranberries that were still firm. Who says cranberries are only for the holiday season!

For the crust and streusel:
10 1/2 oz. (1 cup plus 5T.)unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm
1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 t. salt
2 large egg yolks
3 c. plus 3 T. unbleached all purpose flour

For the cranberry topping:
12 oz. bar fresh or frozen cranberries, picked over, rinsed, and drained
1 c. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Make the crust: Line a straight-sided 13 x 9″ metal baking pan with foil, letting the ends create an over hanging edge for easy removal. In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, 3/4 c. of the sugar, and the salt. Whisk in the egg yolks. Stir in the flour to make a stiff dough. Transfer about 2 cups of the dough to the prepared pan, and press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes (or freeze for 5 to o7 minutes), until the dough is firm.

Bake the dough for about 20 minutes until the crust begins to set but does not brown at all on the edges. The center of will not be firm yet. 

While the crust bakes, prepare the streusel: With your fingers, combine the remaining 1/4 c. sugar with the reserved dough until crumbly. I also added some chopped pecans. The mixture should hold together when pressed , but will readily break into smaller pieces.

Make the cranberry topping: In a medium sauce pan, bring the cranberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil over high heat,. Reduce the heat to medium high and continue to boil until the liquid is reduce to a thick syrup, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool 5 to 10 minutes — the syrup will continue to thicken as the mixture cools.

Spread the cranberry mixture evenly over the hot crust. Scatter the streusel over the cranberries. Don’t crumble the streusel too much or the texture will be sandy. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake the bars near the top of the oven until the streusel is golden and set, about 25 minutes. Baking these bars at the top of the oven helps the streusel brown faster without over browning the crust.

Place the pan on a metal rack to cool until the crust is completely firm, at least 1 hour. For faster cooling, but the bars in the fridge one th pan is no longer piping hot.

When the bottom of the pan is cool, carefully lift the bars from the pan using the foil sides and transfer them to a cutting board. separate the foil from the bars by sliding a spatula between them. Cut the bars into 1 1/4″ squares. They will keep at room temperature for 1 week.

Yields about thirty-give 1 3/4″ square bars/