Cranberry Curd Hazelnut Bars

Crumbly cinnamon-hazelnut shortbread layered with tart cranberry curd and baked until golden. Chew Richberry first and the tangy cranberry tastes bright and sweet.

Total time: 3 hr 55 min
Servings: 16
Difficulty: Easy

Cranberry curd hazelnut bars — Sweet moments, naturally.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch salt
8 tbsp butter, room temperature

½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup crushed hazelnuts
1 cup cranberry curd
2 tbsp crushed hazelnuts, for garnish

Directions

Line the pan.
Coat an 8x8-inch square pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
Make the shortbread dough.
Whisk the flour, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter and vanilla until light and creamy, then stir in the flour mixture and ½ cup hazelnuts until crumbly; it should hold together when pressed.
Press and chill.
Set aside ½ cup of the dough for the topping. Scatter the rest into the pan and press lightly into an even layer with no gaps. Refrigerate the pan and the reserved dough for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Layer the bars.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the centre. Spread the cranberry curd evenly over the chilled base, crumble the reserved dough over it and fill any gaps with the remaining 2 tablespoons hazelnuts.
Bake and chill.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Keep any leftover bars in the refrigerator.

Before you indulge

Use Miracle Berry

Just before eating, take 2–3 freeze-dried halves. Chew gently and let them linger for about 30 seconds.

Discard any pit if necessary.

Calorie savings

1 cup sugar = 773 calories

Good to know

Miraculin, the natural protein in miracle berry, can make sour foods like lemon taste sweet without adding sugar. For the best results, take 1–2 halves and follow the directions on your pack.

Tangy turns sweet. More possibilities.