The Sweet, The Salty, The Sour: Cranberry Cashew Bars

Every once in a while I crave something sweet, salty, and sour.

These little bars really hit the spot.

I am definitely going to give up on the drizzle though.

Just look at that! I always, always, alway cut the corner of my plastic bag too big. The sweet is still there though.

Sometimes I ask Betty to help me in the kitchen. Not too often, but I do.

The crust part of these bars is Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix.

Yummy, yummy, yummy....

Before I sprinkled on the cashews I put them in a plastic bag and gave them a few hits with my meat mallet. As you can see, some of them remained whole.

Cranberry-Cashew Bars

1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix

1/3 c. butter, melted

1 egg

1/3 c. butter

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 c. sweetened dried cranberries (I used crasins)

1 c. cashews, coarsely chopped

1/2 c. white vanilla baking chips

1 tsp butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom only of 9 inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray.

In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, melted butter, and egg until soft dough forms. Press in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook 1/3 c. butter, brown sugar, and cranberries, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Spoon over partially baked cookie base and spread evenly. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Cool completely.

In small resealable food-storage plastic bag, place baking chips and butter; seal bag. Microwave on high 30 to 45 seconds (I did mine in 20 second intervals. The second 20 seconds, my bag began to melt, so please be careful) or until softened. Gently squeeze bag until mixture is smooth. Cut off tiny (see, it says tiny) corner of the bag; squeeze bag to drizzle over bars. Cut into squares.

Good Luck~Happy Eating~Enjoy

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." 2 Corinthians 4:7