♫ On The First Day of Christmas ♫

♫ The Robin's Nest gave to me... ♫Some Starbuuuuucks Recipeees ♫

Mock Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

· For Cake Base:
· 2 sticks butter -- softened
· 1 and 1/4 cups brown sugar-- packed
· 3 large eggs
· 1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla (If you want use orange extract instead of vanilla)
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 and 1/2 cups flour
· 1/4 cup minced dried cranberries (Craisins)
· 1/4 cup Lindt or other quality white chocolate -- coarsely chopped
· 1/4 cup minced candied ginger

· For Frosting:
· 4 ounce cream cheese -- softened
· 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
· 2 Tablespoons butter -- softened
· 1 teaspoon vanilla
· For Garnish:
· 2 Tablespoons minced dried cranberries
· 1/3 cup white chocolate chips (e.g. Ghiradelli or Guittard) -- melted

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Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Beat butter and sugar together for the cake base, and add eggs/vanilla beating until fluffy. Sift together flour, ginger, and salt and then add to the butter/sugar mixture beating well. Fold in the cranberries, chocolate and ginger. Spread thick batter in pan and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden.

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When cake is cooled, mix all frosting ingredients together and spread a thin layer over the cake. Immediately sprinkle with the minced cranberries. Then use a cake decorating bag of melted white chocolate with a tiny decorating tip (like the size used for writing on cakes) and drizzle the white chocolate over the cake.Cut this into bars immediately because the white chocolate hardens pretty fast and makes cake cutting messy.
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Mock Starbucks Holiday Gingerbread

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1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon orange extract, optional

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup applesauce

FOR THE FROSTING:

8 oz. cream cheese

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.Dissolve baking soda into applesauce and mix into creamed butter. Add flour mixture. Mix until smooth. Pour batter into a loaf pan.Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out just slightly sticky. Do not over bake.

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Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar. Frost cake when it is completely cooled. Decorate with chopped candied orange peel or candied ginger. ****

♥DECEMBER 1ST ~ DAY 1♥

(24 days till Christmas)