Holiday Cranberry & Macadamia Squares with White Chocolate Drizzle
We’re fully embracing the holiday season and between the requisite quarrels over who 
gets to measure the flour first to how many times they each have licked the spoon, my vision for a perfectly orchestrated holiday cookie baking bonanza last weekend with my girls has now been designated our #notexactlyMarthaStewart day.
The “real holiday cookies made by real kids” and peppermint creams which resulted are misshapen and rustic and took way longer to make than we anticipated and a constant vigil over the oven to make sure they did not burn, but they taste as they should and remind me that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. 
That experience is in contrast to my solo baking ventures using my slow cooker with the simplicity of one bowl for quick breads like our spiced chocolate chip pumpkin bread. Once it’s in, I can walk away for a couple of hours and happily concentrate on other things while knowing it won’t burn.
Our festive twist focuses on fresh cranberries combined with macadamia nuts, cut into squares and drizzled with a white chocolate glaze. Having tasted fresh cranberry muffins at the Common Loaf Bake Shop in Tofino, BC on our summer vacation earlier this year, I vowed never to use dried ones again. They are fruity, juicy and tart, without the added sugar that dried cranberries often contain. The macadamia nuts are a tasty textural addition and a sweet white chocolate glaze balances the cranberry.
Cut into squares for a teatime treat or lunchbox surprise.
- 1/4 cup / 2 oz unsalted butter, softened (olive oil, or vegetable oil)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup / 8 oz buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups / 10 oz all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup macadamia nuts
- spray a 2 pound loaf pan with non stick spray and shake 1 tbsp flour to coat the edges.
- place a piece of aluminum foil onto the bottom of the slow cooker insert and turn onto HIGH.
- in a mixing bowl, blend together the butter and sugar to a paste.
- break the egg into the butter and sugar mixture and stir until combined. (This is the wet mixture)
- stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
- mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and stir into the wet mixture
- add the cranberries and macadamia nuts and stir well to distribute evenly in the mixture
- pour the cake mixture into your loaf pan and place onto the aluminum foil in your slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours.
- In resealable freezer plastic bag, mix baking chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 to 45 seconds, squeezing mixture in bag every 15 seconds until smooth. Cut 1/4-inch top from corner of bag; drizzle over bars.
“No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.”
-Julia Child
