Recipe For Cooking Cranberry-Filled Cheese Bars

Toaster Oven Cookies :: Holiday Cookies

Cranberry-Filled Cheese Bars

2 C. flour
1 1/2 C. oats
1/4 C. plus 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
1 C. butter or margarine, softened
8 oz. cream cheese
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 C. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 (16 oz.) can whole berry cranberry sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-in. baking pan.

In a lrg. mixer bowl, combine flour, oats, 1/4 C. brown sugar and butter or margarine. Mix until crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 C. crumb mixture. Press remaining mixture firmly on bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake 15 min. Remove from oven; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a sm. bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice. Spread over prepared crust.

In a sm. bowl, combine the remaining 1 Tbsp. brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in cranberry sauce. Spoon evenly over cream cheese layer; spread with a butter knife as necessary. Top with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake 40 min., or until topping is golden. Cool, then refrigerate. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Makes approximately 24-36 bars. They are rich, so cut them sm..