The 12 Days Of Christmas Cookies *Day 10*

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

​Makes: One 12x16 baking sheet

​ For the Base

• 1½ sticks butter (softened, not melted)
• ½ tsp salt
• 1¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1½ cup flour
• 3 eggs
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tblsp minced crystallized ginger or 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ –1½ cups Craisins (dry cranberries)
• 4 oz. white chocolate chips

For decoration

• ½ cup Craisins (dry cranberries)
• 2 oz white chocolate chips

Frosting

• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar (put only 1½ - 2 cups if you do not like them very sweet)
• 4 tsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F with the rack in the middle. Line a 12x16 inch baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

Make the Base:

• Cream together brown sugar, salt & butter. Add eggs & vanilla extract, one egg at a time creaming the mixture in between. Add grated ginger, flour & baking powder and stir everything together. Add Craisins & white chocolate and fold them in. Using wet hands or wet spatula spread the batter evenly in a 12x16 inch baking pan. Bake for about 10 minutes until the middle is baked through. Do not overbake or the bars will be very dry. Allow to cool.

How to make the frosting:

• Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice & vanilla extract to a bowl of a mixer. Using a beater or a whip attachment beat/whip everything together until creamy, about 4-5 minutes.
• Place the white chocolate in a cup and microwave for about 40-50 seconds in 7-8 increments stirring with a spoon in between, until it just starts to melt. Continue stirring until all chocolate is melted. Transfer it to a ziplock bag and twist the end around the chocolate. When ready to drizzle, snip the end with scissors.

Assemble:

• Spread the frosting over the cooled down crust. Sprinkle the craisins on top. Drizzle melted white chocolate on top. Allow the bars to set until the top of the cream cheese frosting is not sticky to the touch, about 2 hours. This will make it easier to cut the bars
• Trim the ends of the bars, for even edges. Cut the bars into squares, then cut the squares diagonally into triangles.