Tea Room Recipe #52 - Chelsea's and The Village Tea Room (Asheville, N.C.)

I know what you're thinking: "I didn't eat enough sweets over Christmas, and wow, I sure do wish someone would share just ONE MORE rich, sugary dessert for me to make!" Well, friends, here you go, a deliciously rich new treat, Cranberry Raisin Bars.

As I end this year of trying tea room cookbook recipes, it's nice that the 1996 cookbook I used, "In Chelsea's Kitchen," is from a tea room I actually visited before it closed earlier this year, Chelsea's in Asheville, N.C. I visited Chelsea's once with my husband several years back, and once with some tea blogger friends in 2012. Both times I just loved Chelsea's, and I was sorry to hear it closed but happy I have a book of their recipes to enjoy!

It'll be Salad City around here in another week or so, but until then I'm still in holiday baking mode and thought these bar treats sounded particularly scrumptious. They came from the cookbook's "Afternoon Tea" chapter, and indeed I thought my Cranberry Raisin Bars were simply perfect enjoyed (in small portions) with tea!

Cranberry Raisin Bars

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablepoons all-purpose flour, divided use
1 large egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups mixed dried cranberries, golden and dark raisins (I used half cranberries, half dark raisins)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup coconut
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest (I upped this to 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, then add the brown sugar and 1/2 cup of flour. Combine with a pastry blender until you have a soft dough, then pat it into the bottom of an 8-inch-square baking pan prepared with cooking spray. Bake for 5 minutes. While crust bakes, combine remaining 2 tablespoons of flour with other ingredients. When crust has finished baking, top with mixture, then bake for 25 minutes more, or until edges are beginning to brown. Cool completely before slicing.

***Be sure to stop by next Saturday if you'd like to see what my 2014 "Tea Project" is!