Introduction

Cranberry Curd Bars with Walnut Shortbread Crust blend tart, creamy cranberry curd with a rich, buttery nutty base. These bars make a perfect festive treat or a delightful dessert any time of year.

The image shows a batch of square-shaped bars arranged tightly together on a white marbled surface, each bar having two layers: the bottom layer is a light brown cake base and the top layer is a smooth, bright red icing covering the entire surface. The red icing is decorated with light dusting of powdered sugar scattered unevenly across the top and thin, curly orange zest pieces spread casually over many squares, giving a fresh and colorful contrast. The texture of the icing looks glossy and dense while the cake base appears soft and slightly crumbly. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

For the crust:

Cooking spray
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and at room temperature

For the cranberry curd:

12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and at room temperature
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Candied citrus zest (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extra overhang on the long sides for easy lifting. Coat the paper and pan sides with cooking spray and set aside.
Step 2: In a food processor, pulse the walnut pieces about 15 times until coarsely ground. Add flour, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then pulse about 10 more times until finely ground.
Step 3: Scatter the butter pieces over the mixture and pulse 20 to 25 times until the dough forms moist clumps.
Step 4: Transfer the crust dough to the prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom using your hands or a floured measuring cup. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the crust until it begins to brown around the edges, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Step 6: While crust bakes, combine cranberries and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and become mushy, about 5 minutes.
Step 7: Strain the cranberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract the purée. Discard solids in strainer. Let purée cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Step 8: Clean the saucepan, then whisk sugar, eggs, egg yolks, lemon juice, and salt into the cranberry purée until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan over medium heat.
Step 9: Stir constantly, scraping bottom and sides, until curd thickens, coats the back of a spoon, and reaches about 150°F, about 5 to 11 minutes.
Step 10: Remove from heat, add butter pieces all at once, and stir until melted and smooth.
Step 11: Pour curd through the strainer into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Pour warm curd evenly over baked crust.
Step 12: Bake bars until curd is set but still slightly jiggles in the center, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
Step 13: Before serving, run a thin knife around edges to loosen. Use parchment sling to lift from pan, trim edges if desired, and cut into 24 bars.
Step 14: Dust bars with powdered sugar, allowing it to melt into a sweet glaze. Garnish with candied citrus zest if desired.

Tips & Variations

Use pecans or almonds instead of walnuts for a different nutty flavor in the crust.
For extra tartness, add a teaspoon of grated orange zest to the cranberry curd.
If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the nuts and mix the crust ingredients by hand using cold butter.
Candied citrus zest adds a pretty and flavorful garnish – see this tutorial for easy steps.

Storage

Store cranberry curd bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor. You can also freeze the bars tightly wrapped for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

How to Serve

The image shows square pieces of dessert arranged closely on a white marbled surface. Each piece has two clear layers: the bottom layer is a crumbly, light brown crust with a coarse texture, and the top layer is a smooth, bright pink filling with a glossy surface. The top of the filling is decorated with thin orange peel spirals and dusted with fine white powdered sugar. The dessert looks fresh and neatly cut, with some powdered sugar scattered around on the marbled surface. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use frozen cranberries for the curd?

Yes, frozen cranberries work perfectly and can be used straight from the freezer. Just allow a little extra time to come to a boil and soften.

Why does the curd need to be strained twice?

Straining removes skins and seeds after cooking the cranberries, and again after cooking the curd to ensure a silky smooth texture free of any cooked egg bits.