Most people save their snowy wishes for a white Christmas, but I confess, I am desperately hoping for snow for Thanksgiving.
A Buffalo girl at heart, nothing says holiday season to me quite like a good foot or so of snow. (Not to mention eggnog or mulled cider and some kind of cranberry treat.)
Living in the DC area now, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that Thanksgiving will most likely not be welcomed in with snow (but I am surely keeping my fingers crossed for Christmas); however, that doesn’t mean I can’t make the rest of the festivities happen, right?
Bring on the cranberry treats.
These jam bars are so multi-purpose, they’ll have your head spinning. Make a double batch of your favorite cranberry sauce the day before Thanksgiving, and whip these up in the morning for Thanksgiving brunch. Include them in the dessert buffet for Thanksgiving dinner. Or serve them as an early morning breakfast with coffee on Black Friday before you brave the shopping crowds.
Other than with turkey dinner (of course), these Cranberry-Oat Jam Bars are the perfect use for cranberry sauce!
- 1⅓ cups of your favorite cranberry sauce (I like Vanilla-Spiced Cranberry Apple Sauce for this)
- ½ cup (115 g) cold unsalted butter, diced small
- 1¾ cups (225 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground mahlab
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons cold water
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with 2 pieces of parchment paper so that the paper hangs over all 4 sides (so you can easily lift out the cookie bars).
- Taste the cranberry sauce and if it’s on the tart side, add sugar to taste (it should have a pleasantly sweet/tart flavor without making you pucker).
- Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the cold butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal, and then use a fork to stir in the salt, mahlab, baking soda, and sugar. Add the vanilla and molasses, and combine with a fork until incorporated. Stir in the eggs, and then the oats.
- Press ⅔ of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared dish (the dough will be sticky). Spread the cranberry sauce on top of the dough, and crumble the remaining ⅓ of the dough on top.
- Bake until golden, about 45 minutes, and then cool completely.
- Once cooled, whisk together all ingredients for the glaze and drizzle it on top of the bars.
- Let the glaze set before cutting and serving.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
mmm mmm mmm! Delicious! Snow for Thanksgiving? I pray for a bikini for Christmas haha :)
These are so perfect in every way. Loving the images too Faith. Beautiful.
You guys should come visit me for Christmas! We’ve got plenty of the white Christmas action going on. We can all go skiing/sledding and drink hot cocoa with these deeeelicious cranberry bars! I love cranberry sauce and these are definitely making me excited for a white Christmas :D
I hope you get a white Thanksgiving, Faith! After a winter in Michigan last year, I’m hoping for only a slight dusting of snow at the very most now that I live in Portland, Oregon.
These oat bars look delicious! I’m inspired to make some baked oatmeal with cranberries now. :)
Oh Faith, these looks delicious! I love that you add mahlab…I love the flavor that adds. I’m going to look for that cranberry sauce with the vanilla! Sounds yummy!
Such pretty bars, Faith! Love that oat crumble!
Maybe we can hope for snow the week OF Thanksgiving but then have it stop a few days before my wedding…compromise? :P
I love cranberry infused sweet treats. They feel so festive! These are great.