cranberry curd mud hen bars!

Add these easy and delicious cranberry curd mud hen bars to your holiday to-do list!

if you know………….

If mud hen bars sound familiar, it’s because I’ve posted a recipe in the past – you can see it here!

And I hope you tried them because they are one of my favorite baked goods, albeit sorely underrepresented. Let’s change that!

a mud hen “refresher”!

For those of you new to this recipe, mud hen bars come from an old old southern recipe that originally consisted of a pecan sugar cookie base, topped with brown sugar meringue. Later versions eliminated the pecans in the base and added a layer of of marshmallows and chocolate chips before spreading the meringue.

mud hen bars are a perfect holiday dessert!

In this month’s “Sweet Treats for your Sweet Tooth” – my baking series that I do with my friend Elizabeth – we are sharing Thanksgiving desserts, and I couldn’t be happier with this cranberry version!

I received a few jars of cranberry curd for a client shoot and had an unopened jar left over. I loved the tartness and color of those rhubarb mud hen bars and knew that the cranberry curd would be the perfect “fall twist” I was looking for!

In addition to being SUPER easy to make, this recipe yields 2 dozen bars – a lovely amount for a medium to large gathering. Bar cookies are my go-to during busier seasons as they take far less time than traditional drop or roll cookies. 

The flavors in these bars also play nicely with the Thanksgiving standards of apple and pumpkin pies, and no slicing necessary!

what ingredients do you need for cranberry curd mud hen bars?

cranberry curd
unsalted butter
brown sugar
eggs
vanilla extract
flour
baking powder
salt

I like this recipe because it uses 3 whole eggs – 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks in the cookie base, and the remaining 2 egg whites in the meringue – no waste!

I also added some of my Selefina Spicy Baking Blend to the cookie base. It was the perfect complement to the cranberry filling, while adding a little something extra to the sugar cookie dough. Totally optional but I say go for it!

how do you make them?

You’ll start by making the sugar cookie base and spreading it into a 9 x 13 baking pan:

Spread the cranberry curd on top of the sugar cookie base:

Whip the egg whites and brown sugar till stiff peaks form and spread that over the top.

Bake, cool, slice and serve!

this is a great “starter” recipe for making meringue!

You know I’m obsessed with all things meringue – this is an ideal recipe to start with as you literally cannot mess it up. The meringue will crack in the oven, giving the bars a rustic appearance that is part of their charm!

Be sure to check out Elizabeth’s delicious recipe, and let me know if you make mud hen bars!

Cranberry Curd Mud Hen Bars

sherisilver

These easy bars deserve a place on your holiday dessert table!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 24 bars

Calories 140 kcal

Equipment

• 9 x 13 baking pan
• hand mixer
• parchment paper
• small angled spatula
• wire cooling rack

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 cups brown sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Selefina Spicy Baking Blend
• 10 - 12 ounces cranberry curd

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” pan in both directions with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
• Beat the butter with 1 cup of the brown sugar till light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides. Add 1 whole egg and 2 yolks (do not discard the whites!), along with the vanilla extract and beat again. Scrape down the sides. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and Spicy Baking Blend, and beat till just combined.
• Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and use a small angled spatula to smooth into an even layer. Clean and dry the mixer bowl.
• Spread the cranberry curd over the cookie dough.
• Beat the 2 reserved egg whites on low speed till the surface is covered in bubbles. Raise the speed to medium high and gradually add the remaining 1 cup of brown sugar. Raise the speed to high and beat till stiff peaks form. Dollop the meringue over the cranberry curd and gently spread evenly.
• Bake for 30 minutes and cool completely on a wire rack. Use the parchment “sling” to transfer the bar to a cutting board and cut into 24 squares.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 80mgPotassium: 42mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 147IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg

Keywords bar cookies, cookies, cranberry, meringue

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About the author

Sheri Silver

Sheri Silver is a New York-based food photographer and recipe developer who has been cooking and baking for over 30 years. She works with brands, authors and restaurants to create recipes that are as beautiful as they are foolproof - and every recipe on this blog has been made, tweaked and eaten in her own kitchen.

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