Scroll to the bottom of the post to get ALL the “12 Days” recipes from 2019 – 2023!
Welcome to Day 9 of
The Twelve Days of Holiday Treats!
Once again, this year, from December 1st-12th I’ll post a new holiday treat recipe every day – inspiration for your holiday entertaining!
The recipes I’m sharing are small-er batch – each recipe makes 1-dozen or a few more smaller-sized treats that are simple to prepare and that use everyday ingredients and equipment so hopefully you’ll be able to whip up any of these on a whim. Check out the treats from 2019 – 2023 at the bottom of this post too for more inspiration!
Today’s treat is a bit of a riff on a Florentine (I’ve made that for this series, way back in 2019 – see Giant Florentine Cookie (to share)!) – all the goodness of a Florentine (nuts, fruit, chocolate, caramel) only easier to make and used to top a soft cakey base.
This is based on a recipe I found in one of mum’s recipe folders and it took me a few goes to get it right but this version is easy enough for everyday yet festive enough for the holidays. The base is mostly almond flour and because there’s only a tiny bit of flour in this so you can easily use GF flour if you need to, making these a lovely GF option for entertaining!
Cranberry Almond Squares
All the goodness of a Florentine in a square - easy enough for everyday, fancy enough for the holidays!
Ingredients
For the base:
- 30g (2 tablespoons) salted butter, room temperature
- 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 60g (1/2 cup) almond meal
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (you can use gluten-free flour for this if you like)
For the topping:
- 30g (2 tablespoons) salted butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup or honey
- 50g (1/3 cup) dried cranberries, chopped into smaller pieces using kitchen scissors if they are large (you want them the size of small peas)
- 35g (1/3 cup) flaked almonds
optional:
- approx. 100g chocolate, melted for drizzling
Instructions
Make the base:
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Prepare a 20cm (8-inch) loaf tin by lining it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on each side so the base is easy to remove.
- Beat the butter and sugar in a small bowl using electric hand beaters until soft and creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
- Add the almond meal and flour and beat on low speed until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. The batter will be quite thick.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake at 375˚F for 15 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven, but leave it at temperature while you allow the base to cool and you make the topping.
Make the topping and assemble:
- Melt the butter, sugar and corn syrup or honey with the cranberries in a small pot over medium heat.
- When the sugar is melted, increase the heat to medium-high and add the flaked almonds.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes until the mixture has thickened slightly.
- Carefully pour the topping over the base, spreading the cranberries and almonds out evenly.
- Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 375˚F.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to sit on a wire cooling rack for about 15 minutes.
- Gently lift the slice out of the pan using the parchment handles and place it on a cutting board.
- While the slice is still warm, use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing action to cut 10-12 squares.
- Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired.
- Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Squares can be stored at room temperature for a few days in an airtight container, in a single layer (between parchment paper, if you need to double up layers).
Recommended Products
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Don’t they look good?
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s treat!
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Check out 2023’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Holiday Speckles
Day 2: Soft Chocolate Mint Sugar Cookies
Day 3: Funfetti Thumbprint Cookies with Ruby Drop Centres
Day 4: Chocolate Orange Creme Cups
Day 5: Chocolate Filled Shortbread Cups
Day 6: Pistachio Fruit Bread Crackers
Day 7: Pistachio Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Day 8: Iced Mocha Financier Bars (GF)
Day 9: Lemon Meringue Thumbprint Cookies
Day 10: Chocolate Hazelnut Financiers
Day 11: Cranberry, Almond and Pistachio “truffles”
Day 12: Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies (GF)
Check out 2022’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Chocolate Peppermint Creme Cups
Day 2: Chocolate-Dipped Wafer Cookies
Day 3: Gingerbread madeleines
Day 4: Funfetti Cookies
Day 5: Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Day 6: Coffee Financiers
Day 7: No-Bake Strawbery Cheesecake Cups
Day 8: Holiday Joys
Day 9: Holiday Spice Marmalade
Day 10: Soft Molasses Cookies
Day 11: Coconut Roughs
Day 12: Holiday Lights Jam Sandwich Cookies
Check out 2021’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Speculoos financiers
Day 2: Chocolate Dipped Orange Sugar Cookies
Day 3: Madeleines à la Clémentine
Day 4: Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies
Day 5: Sunbutter and Jam Chocolate Cups
Day 6: Hot Chocolate and Marshmallow Cookies
Day 7: Linzer Cookies
Day 8: Chocolate-Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies
Day 9: Choc-Mint Thumbprint Cookies
Day 10: Pailles (Puff Pastry and Jam Cookies)
Day 11: Strawberry Santa Hats
Day 12: Mulled Wine Jam
Check out 2020’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Rice Krispie Wreaths
Day 2: Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Day 3: Peppermint Bark
Day 4: Orangettes
Day 5: Rocky Road Chocolate Crackle Slice
Day 6: Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
Day 7: Orange Pim’s
Day 8: Mendiants
Day 9: Chewy Chocolate Mint Crackle Cookies
Day 10: Apricot, Coconut and Cranberry “truffles”
Day 11: Chocolate, Cherry and Almond Brownies
Day 12: Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Check out 2019’s 12 Days of Holiday Cookies:
Day 1: Easy Three Ingredient Shortbread
Day 2: Jam Drops
Day 3: Chocolate Caramel Slice
Day 4: Melting Moments
Day 5: White Christmas
Day 6: Langues de Chat
Day 7: Chocolate Coconut Slice
Day 8: Cornflake Biscuits
Day 9: Rocky Road
Day 10: Honey Joys
Day 11: Rum Ball Truffles
Day 12: Giant Florentine Cookie (to share)
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This recipe – at first sight – looks to contain the five food groups. No need to eat anything else that day. Lovely.
These were devilishly good – though I’m an admitted florentine fan.
Bit of everything going on, but it all works together. 🙂