Lemon Cranberry Ricotta Bars
Serving
Difficulty
These luscious Lemon Cranberry Ricotta Bars are one of my favorite desserts. They are sweet yet tart, rich and deliciously creamy. They are also super easy to make. Needing only a food-processor, these Lemon Cranberry Ricotta Bars can be whipped up in under 45 minutes including baking time! Since cranberries are only in season between October and December, I purchase extra bags and freeze them. This way, I have cranberries to use in my baking all year round! Want to know my secret to freezing cranberries? Read on!
Many will tell you to freeze cranberries right in the bag you bought them in. I don’t like doing that. Reason is, you’ll need to wash them when needed and rinsing them makes them soft and mushy and when you try to fold them into your baking, they break up, bleeding into your baked goods.
My secret to freezing cranberries!
My recommendation is that you rinse your cranberries when you buy them. Then place them, single layer, on a parchment lined baking sheet (to prevent sticking) and freeze them until solid.  Once frozen, transfer them into a zippered freezer bag. When you need cranberries, scoop out what you need and add them directly to your baking. They’ll hold their shape better and once baked, you’ll have whole, popped, cranberries as opposed to mushed up ones! There you have it! My cranberry secret!
So that you may make these Lemon Cranberry Bars year-round, be sure to pick up extra bags from the grocery store this week!
LEMON CRANBERRY RICOTTA BARS
- 2 cups(240g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1 cup(227g) Unsalted Butter, Softened (not Melted)
- 1/4 cupGranulated Sugar
- 1/4 cupDate Sugar (or Brown Sugar)
- 1Egg
- 1 tspVanilla Extract
- 8 ozBlock-Style Cream Cheese, Softened
- 1 cup(262g) Ricotta Cheese
- 4Eggs
- 1 cup(200g) Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup(100g) Date Sugar, or Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsCornstarch
- 1 cupFresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 2Zest of Lemons
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1 cupFresh or Frozen Cranberries
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a food processor, add flour salt and sugars. Pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture looks crumbly. Add the egg and vanilla extract and pulse until the mixture begins to clump.
- Transfer mixture onto a parchment lined 13” by 9” baking pan. Using your fingers, firmly pat mixture onto the pan, forming a crust.
- Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes until barely golden around the edges.
- Remove from oven and allow crust to cool, about 15 minutes.
- Once crust is at room temperature, begin making the filling. Add all ingredients, except the cranberries, into the same food processor. Blend, scraping down the sides and blending again until the mixture is velvety smooth.
- Sprinkle half of the cranberries on top of the crust then pour the cream cheese mixture over top. Scatter more cranberries over the batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges are set. The middle will still look a little loose. That’s okay. It will set up once cooled.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let cool. Once cooled, cover the pan with plastic cling wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill overnight for cleaner slices.
- Remove from the refrigerator. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. For cleaner slices, use a warmed sharp knife, clean and warm knife in between cuts. Enjoy!
