Cranberry Shortbread Bars
These shortbread bars with dried cranberries are sweet and crumbly, biscuit-like, squares with a crumbly texture that just melts in your mouth. Made with simple and easy ingredients, these take five minutes to mix and 20 mins to bake.
For me, it’s the season of shortbread. Throughout the year I make lots of cookies but during fall I tend to make more shortbreads, bars, squares, and barks. Is it just me or do these just make you feel so much like Christmas?
Why make these bars
- These bars are sweet and crumbly with a biscuit-like texture and are the easiest gifts you can make when you are short on time.
- You don’t need any fancy mixers or pans. Just a bowl and a spatula are all it takes to mix all the ingredients and bake for 20 minutes.
- Now, I must warn you that these are extremely addictive, so if you like shortbread, make extra, or you won’t have any to add to the gift bags.
- These do make simple, easy, and wonderful gifts for the holidays to family and friends.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Semolina – is the coarse purified wheat middlings of durum wheat used to make pasta and couscous. These days, it is available in most supermarkets in the baking aisle. If you can’t find semolina, you may also use rice flour. The rice flour gives a more crispy texture to the squares, while the semolina has a crumbly texture. Both are equally delicious.
- Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter for baking, but if salted butter is all you have, use it and just omit the salt in the recipe.
- Vanilla – A good quality vanilla goes a long way, especially in recipes like this where its flavor really shines through.
- Cranberries – I love using dried as well as semi-dried plump cranberries. You can also use other dry fruits, of course. Try dates, figs, and apricots. Just chop them into small pieces.
- Powdered sugar – this works great because it instantly absorbs into the butter, enhancing that crumbly texture.
How to make cranberry shortbread bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C / Gas Mark 4. Line a 9 x 9-inch square cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar. Add the egg and combine well. Next, add the semolina, salt, and vanilla extract. Followed by the flour. Combine well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges start to get slightly golden.
- Remove and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. While still warm, cut into 16 squares as shown in the video
- Enjoy!
Variations
- Orange – Add a teaspoon of orange zest and ¼ teaspoon of orange extract to give the bars an orange flavor.
- Cream cheese – Frost the bars with a cream cheese frosting once baked and cooled.
- Chocolate – Drizzle some melted white chocolate over the bars once baked and cooked.
- Apple Pie Bars with Crumble
- Best Cherry Bars or Best Apricot Crumble Squares
- Cranberry Shortbread Squares
- Chocolate Pecan Squares
- Chocolate Marzipan Squares – Christmas Treats
- Recipe for Pecan Pie Brownies or Pecan Blondies
- See all bars and blondies or brownies
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Dried Cranberry Shortbread Bars
These shortbread bars with dried cranberries are sweet and crumbly, biscuit-like, squares with a crumbly texture that just melts in your mouth. Made with simple and easy ingredients, these take five minutes to mix and 20 mins to bake
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 grams) Unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup (90 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 large Egg
- ¼ cup (40 g) Semolina
- 1 ½ cup (190 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¾ cup (75 g) Cranberries dried
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C / Gas Mark 4. Line a 9 x 9-inch square cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar. Add the egg and combine well. Next, add the semolina, salt, and vanilla extract. Followed by the flour. Combine well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges start to get slightly golden.
- Remove and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. While still warm – cut into 16 squares as shown in the video
- Enjoy!
I love shortbread and the addition of cranberry sounds like a perfect holiday treat to me! I haven’t used semolina before, but I always enjoy learning to use new ingredients!
Thanks – I hope you try it with semolina.
I am loving all the cranberry dessert recipes this year and this bars look absolutely amazing! What a great recipe!
Me too, Lauren. Love cranberry recipes
I think this is a great Christmas recipe. I have to try this! Looks amazing! Perfect. This is a great idea. Thank you for sharing this great recipe. LOVE
Thank you, Dan.
I love how you combine gift giving and these are so festive they really are the perfect holiday shortbread cookie!
Thank you, Claudia. Definitely very festive
I’m always looking for new ways to use cranberries this time of year. This shortbread looks fantastic, and I love that you use semolina flour for a crumbly texture
Thanks, Karyl. yes, I do love cranberries this time of the year.
These cranberry shortbread squares will make the most perfect teacher and neighbor gifts. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Kelly. Definitely perfect for Christmas Gifts
Ooooh these do sound just like christmas! Plus, I’m all about anything shortbread, it’s the best kind of cookie. Great recipe!
Thanks, Danielle. Me too, love shortbread
It’s looks lovely but I can’t help notice how different it is from Scottish shortbread which is very buttery and short. We make ours with flour sugar and butter (no eggs) and you gently rub in the butter with your fingers being careful not to overwork it, then bring it together and roll. It makes for the most melt in the mouth shortbread. Isn’t it funny how recipes change as they travel around the world.
Thanks, Jacqueline. Yes, these are different from Scotish Shortbread cookies. My mom made those for years. Still my absolute favorite. It’s nice to add variations and create new recipes from old ones. Don’t you think? The semolina and egg add to a wonderful crumble that just melts in your mouth. I think you will like this one. Try it.
These are perfect for this time of year! They’d make a great homemade Christmas gift too!
Thanks, Cliona. Definitely perfect for this time of the year.
A perfect festive treat, can’t wait to try these!
Thanks Amy.