This post is sponsored by Egg Farmers of Canada as part of their #SimpleCheer campaign.
It is way too easy to get caught-up in the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season, isn’t it?
Last year, it was my Husband and I’s first Christmas as a married couple. I eagerly played the part of hostess extraordinaire for friends and family all through December. I baked complicated dishes, prepared new desserts and ran all over the city finding perfect gifts for all. And you know what? While it was a lovely month of celebration in which I made some great memories, I really could have made things a bit more simple.
This year I am slowing things down a bit and enjoying the season more. I am staying-out of the malls (hello, online shopping!) and vowing to take more walks in the snow with my dog and Husband. I will also be serving less dishes this Holiday season. Instead, I will be focusing on a few star creations and letting them shine.
My choice for dessert (or post dog walk) this year is a White Chocolate Cranberry Meringue Bar. Inspired by the indulgent Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar, this dessert is crowned with a candy-like meringue that compliments the tangy cranberry blondie bottom. Using only 8 ingredients this square is simple to prepare but honestly looks like you have been sweating in the kitchen for hours!
For serving, you can jazz it up like I did with bows and ribbon to turn your dessert into a show stopping edible centerpiece, or revel in the simplistic beauty that is meringue. I mean, take a look at this close-up!
Did you know that eggs in Canada are also some of the best in the world for quality and freshness? They travel from farm to your kitchen in less than 5 days! This focus on quality makes eggs a perfect addition to your Holiday celebrations. Plus, buying Canadian Grade A Eggs ensures you are supporting over 1,000 farm families in Canada. I like the sound of that!
Are you joining-in on keeping the Holidays simple and serving eggs at your Festivus celebration (yes, we do that!) or on a snowy Sunday morning? If so, let me know! I also encourage you to follow Egg Farmers of Canada of Twitter at @eggsoeufs and ‘like’ Get Cracking on Facebook to get more #SimpleCheer ideas for a simple Holiday season!
White Chocolate Cranberry Meringue Bar
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large Canadian Grade A Eggs
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
- 1 package white chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large Canadian Grade A Egg Whites
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×9 cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
- In a medium bowl, beat on low setting sugar, eggs and vanilla.
- Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
- Fold in cranberries and white chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared 9×9 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes (until toothpick comes-out clean)
- While cake is baking, prepare the meringue topping. Beat egg whites on high setting in medium bowl until frothy. Slowly add sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, and beat until the meringue is thick and glossy.
- When square is done baking, spread meringue on top and return to oven for an additional 15 minutes.
- Let cool completely prior to cutting and serving.
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