Mulled Wine Cranberry White Chocolate Squares

Sue and I are very excited to be posting this recipe today.

See, Hershey's Canada has sent us a package with 20 bags of Chipits to use to come up with some cool holiday baking recipes to share with our readers. They are also, very generously, going to send one of our readers a Chipits package of their own!! (Sorry, Canadian residents only!)

Yeah.

So, anyway, it was seriously like Christmas morning when our package arrived. I mean - check out this photo - 

So many holiday baking recipes to be made!!

We have decided to make this week Chipits week on our blog so we can share as many of our new recipes as possible.

(**We were compensated for this post and received free Chipits products BUT, as always, our opinions are our own!!**)

Starting with my favorite new recipe: Mulled Wine Cranberry White Chocolate Squares. 

With it's cheery color, spicy flavors, and the smooth white chocolate - this is sure to become a new Christmas favorite. 

Mulled Wine Cranberry White Chocolate Squares

Ingredients

Base/Topping

2 1/4 cup flour

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

pinch salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 small orange (zest only/reserve juice for filling)

1 (225 gr) bag Chipits White Chocolate Chips

1 cup butter, chilled

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, room temp

Filling

2/3 cup honey

1 cup red wine

juice from small orange (about 1/4 cup)

3 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 X 13 pan with parchment paper, set aside. 

Prepare Base/Topping -  In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, orange zest, and Chipits White Chocolate Chips. 

Stir to combine. 

Cut in butter using 2 butter knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Next, using your hands, mix in the cream cheese until a soft, crumbly dough forms. 

Press 2/3 of the dough into the prepared 9 X 13 pan. Set aside.

Set aside the remaining 1/3 of the dough for topping.

Prepare Filling - In a medium saucepan over med/high heat, Combined honey, wine, orange juice, cranberries, and spices. 

Bring to a simmer, turn down heat, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes. 

Remove cover, stir, and let simmer for another 10 minutes or so, stirring often, until mixture is thickened and cranberries have all popped.

While filling is simmering for the second ten minutes, place the 9 X 13 pan with the base in it into the oven to bake for 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes is up - remove base from oven and set on cooling rack. Evenly spread the filling mixture over the base.

Crumble the remaining 1/3 of the oat/flour mixture over the filling evenly.

Bake at 350 until topping is browned and dish is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Let cool completely. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the square from the pan then, using the parchment paper "handles", lift the square out of the pan.

Slice and serve.

Perfect for a more adult oriented Christmas party! 

Orange, cranberry, wine, spices - tastes like Christmas to me.

Now, you are probably wondering about how to get in on that giveaway...

One lucky reader will be drawn at random to receive a Chipits holiday baking package from Hershey's Canada (Canadian residents only!). 

Contest runs from December 01, 2014 to December 10, 2014 (7:00 am).

Thank you to all who entered!!

You can see the winner HERE.

We're sharing at these fun linky parties. Be sure to check them out! - Ms. enPlace, Memories By The Mile, Simple Life of a Fire Wife, Horrific Knits, Hun...What's For Dinner?,  New Mrs. Adventures, Anyonita Nibbles, Carole's Chatter, Six Sister's Stuff