My daughter introduced me to these heavenly treats. They’re definitely an indulgence and take a number of ingredients, but, oh my! They’re certainly worth the effort! I found this version on Belle of the Kitchen’s site.

INGREDIENTS:

For the bars:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup Craisins

For the frosting and topping:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup Craisins, chopped
2 squares white baking chocolate or almond bark, melted

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add in eggs and the extracts, mixing well. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger and beat until just blended. Do not overmix.

Stir the white chocolate chips and the Craisins in by hand. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until set in the middle and golden brown around the edges. (Don’t overbake as this will cause the bars to become dry and hard.) Remove from oven and allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the orange and vanilla extract and mix well. Top the cooled bars with frosting. Sprinkle the chopped Craisins evenly across the top and drizzle melted white chocolate in strands across the top of the bars using a fork to create “streaks” of chocolate.

Refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting to allow for more uniform slices. Store in refrigerator.