Cookie Blog Hop-Grand Marnier Cranberry Cookie Bars Two Ways

I am very excited to be a co-host for December's Blog Hop, #cookielove.  December is #cookielove month! Please join in on the #cookielove fun by linking up any  any cookie recipe from the month of December 2011. Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #cookielove event! The twitter hashtag is #cookielove :).  

For this event I made Grand Marnier Cranberry Cookie Bars, two ways, some with dark chocolate on top, and some without, all in the same pan. During this busy holiday season, anything that you can do to streamline your baking is a good thing.  Making cookie bars is a quick way to get a whole pan full of wonderful cookie bars in a short amount of time.

I used  Kim@LIv LIfe's Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce to make these cookie bars. I had made the sauce for Thanksgiving  loved it and decided to use the sauce recipe for my cookie bars.  The sauce has Grand Marnier, orange zest, and orange juice. which pair beautifully with the tart cranberries.  Kim cooked her cranberries in the oven and I made mine on the stove top to make the sauce.  I made my sauce the night before I made the bars, so the sauce would jell, and get firm.  

Here is the list of wonderful co-host friends  We are all so excited to host this fun event, and all of those wonderful cookies .
Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves
Badger Girl Learns to Cook 
 BigFatBaker,
bloc de recetas 
,Bon a croquer,
Cafe TerraBlog,  
Cake Duchess,
Creative Cooking Corner, 
Easily Good Eats 
GeorgieCakes 
Hobby and More
knitstamatic 
Mike's Baking  
Mis Pensamientos
No one Likes Crumbley Cookies 
Oh Cake 
Queen's Notebook 
Savoring Every Bite 
Simply Reem 
Teaspoon of Spice 
That Skinny Chick Can Bake 
The Art of Cooking Real Food 
The Spicy RD 
The Wimpy Vegetarian 
Vegetarian Tastebuds 

Grab the linky tool   Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #cookielove event! The twitter hashtag is #cookielove :). 

Grand Marnier Cranberry Cookie Bars, Two Ways 
Adapted and Inspired by Kim@livlifetoo.blogspot.com 

Grand Marnier Cranberry Filling

2 12 oz bags of fresh cranberries.

2 c of water

2 c sugar

6 Tbsp Grand Marnier

4 Tbsp orange juice

2 Tbsp orange zest

Wash cranberries, and pick through. Set aside.  combine sugar and water in large point and heat to boiling. Add cranberries to boiling water and cook over med, heat, until all cranberries have “popped’, about 10min. Remove from heat. Stir in Grand Marnier, orange juice, and orange zest. and let them cool, until set. You can do this night before, you make the crust, if you want.

Crust Recipe

3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
1 lg. egg, beaten
1 c. chocolate chips, I used Dark Chocolate chips

Combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in beaten egg until just moistened. Save 2 cup dough. Pat remaining crumbs into greased 15 x 10x1 inch pan. Bake in 350 degree oven about 10 min, till crust is lightly brown.

Spread Grand Marnier Cranberry filling carefully over hot crust.  Sprinkle reserved dough over the filling.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over reserved dough on half of the reserved dough. Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until top is golden.

Spread melted chips over half of the pan. Let cool in pan. While slightly warm, slice into bars, then let them cool completely in pan They freeze well, if you can keep everyone from eating them first.