Thankful for You

some bonus cranberry apple bars because you deserve it

Hey my lovely Pot Heads,

I know you already have plenty of recipes for the holidays but I decided to throw one more your way. I just love you all that much. There are plenty of pumpkin haters in the crowd so here’s a twist on the Pumpkin Pie Bars I published earlier this month. The crumb topping and pressed crust remain the same, but I’ve switched out the filling for something a little more unusual: cranberry apple. You simmer the cranberries and apple chunks just as if you were making a cranberry sauce but with a little more sugar and spices for good measure. For less than 15 minutes of extra work, you are rewarded with a jammy bar that tastes like a wintery version of cherry pie. The apples almost melt into the baked bars and the cranberries help temper everything from getting too sweet. As the tray gets passed around at your next event, you’ll hear people ask, “Hey, hold on, who made these???” Take in the all the compliments, you deserve them.

These Cranberry Apple Bars surprising, delightful, and welcomed at any potluck, office party, or family meal from here until the spring. There’s lots of pectin in the filling from the apples and cranberries so technically you could get away with leaving the agar out if you’re having trouble locating it. I added it to make sure that bars set firmly but if you don’t mind a like squish, you can march forward without it. But if you want them firm and not runny in the least, use the agar.

Remember, I am here to help with any and all of your holiday cooking needs. Have a question about a recipe (even if it’s not mine)? Need help figuring out a menu? Need advice on how to sub out an ingredient? I’m standing by to lend a hand. Reply to any of the newsletters to send me an email, message me here on Substack, leave a comment here, or pop into a Stir the Pot chat and I’ll get right back to you. That’s one of your membership perks so don’t be afraid to use it. Thank you again to every single one of you for becoming a paid subscriber. Your support makes all the difference in my life and I couldn’t do any of this without you. This year, I am thankful for all of you and this little community we’ve built. It’s the best part of 2024 for me by a mile. Now let’s get baking.

Cranberry Apple Bars

Makes one 9 x 13 cake pan, enough for 18-24 bars depending how you slice