CRANBERRY TURTLE BARS

These are such excellent cookies. Always a great hit at Christmas time, but delicious anytime. I always buy extra cranberries when they are fresh and put them in the freezer to use throughout the year.


Baked and spread with topping:


Turned out on a cutting board:


Cut and drizzled with chocolate:


On the bottom tray for a holiday party:

CRANBERRY TURTLE BARS Originally from Gourmet, November 2001 For base: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter (3/4 cup) cut into 1/2" cubes For topping: 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup) 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar 1/4 cup light corn syrup 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (not thawed = 6 3/4 oz), coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups pecans (12 oz), toasted and cooled, then coarsely chopped For decoration 2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), very finely chopped (see Notes) Special equipment: a candy thermometer Make base: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 15x10" shallow baking pan (1" deep) with foil, leaving a 2" overhang on the 2 short sides. Butter all 4 sides (but not bottom). Blend flour, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor, then add butter and pulse until mixture begins to form small (roughly pea-size) lumps. Sprinkle into baking pan, then press down firmly all over with a metal spatula to form an even layer. Bake in middle of oven until golden and firm to the touch, 15 to 17 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack. Make topping: Melt butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat and stir in sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Boil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramel registers 245°F on thermometer, about 8 minutes. Carefully stir in cranberries, then boil until caramel returns to 245°F. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, then stir in pecans until well coated. Working quickly, spread caramel topping over base, using a fork to distribute nuts and berries evenly. Cool completely. Cut and decorate bars: Lift bars in foil from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 6 crosswise strips, then 6 lengthwise strips to form 36 bars. Melt half of chocolate in top of a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and add remaining chocolate, stirring until smooth. Transfer chocolate to a small heavy-duty sealable plastic bag. Seal bag and snip off a tiny piece of 1 corner to form a small hole, then pipe chocolate decoratively over bars. Let stand at room temperature until chocolate sets, about 1 hour. Bars keep in an airtight container (use wax paper between layers) 1 week. NOTES: I like to make these smaller than suggested in the recipe. Typically I cut my bars into little rectangles about 1"x2". Then I melt the contents of an 11.5 oz bag of bittersweet chocolate chips and drizzle that over the bars.