I am no expert in the kitchen, but I sure am trying.

This year I wanted my New Year’s resolution to be something simple- something fun. I want to explore recipes and swap out an ingredient for cranberries or even just add cranberries to a dish that doesn’t often get associated with cranberries in hopes to get people excited about using the tangy little berry all year round.

I am documenting my “Will It Cran” journey on Instagram and promise to share my wins as well as my blunders. Honestly, I love watching cooking fails and will be the first to admit defeat but, I’ve only had successes so far. My husband tried this recipe and said “Oh yeah. Keep this one around”.

I originally saw this recipe being used with a blueberry swirl, so if that’s your preference, I won’t hold it against you, but cranberries are a great substitute for blueberries in most situations if you like things a little more tart. Let’s dive into these Lemon Cranberry Swirl Bars.

Recipe:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• For the base
  • Melt 6 Tablespoons of butter
  • Crush 1 1/2 Cups graham crackers
  • 1/3 Cup sugar
• Mix together the butter with graham crackers and sugar and press evenly into a well greased 8×8 pan. I placed a sheet of parchment paper down for easy removal later.
• Bake crust at 350° for 7-8 minutes
• Filling
  • In a bowl, add zest from 4 lemons
  • Juice from 3.5 lemons (save remaining half for the cranberry swirl)
  • 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
  • 10 egg yolks
    • Combine together and pour in an even layer on top of the cooled graham cracker crust

• Cranberry Topping
  • In a saucepan over Medium High heat combine:
    • 1 Cup fresh or frozen cranberries
    • Juice of 1/2 lemon
    • 1/4 Cup sugar
    • Splash of your favorite Ocean Spray cranberry juice- I used Cran Raspberry
  • Stir until sugar dissolves and stir occasionally until fruit begins to pop and liquid begins to thicken.
  • Once the cranberry mixture thickens, remove from heat and cool completely
  • Once cranberry mixture is cool, dollop onto the lemon filling and swirl with a toothpick
  • Bake the dessert for 25-30 minutes. The filling should still have a little jiggle to it
  • Cover and cool in the refrigerator overnight or in the freezer for 4-6 hours or until firm
  • To cut, run a sharp knife under hot water and cut into quarters. Warm knife again and quarter the existing quarter slices for equal little square bites.

Do you have an idea for my next Will It Cran recipe? Go slide in my DMs on Facebook or Instagram or send me an email! I would love to hear from you.

See you next time!