Cranberry Curd Bars & Walnut Shortbread Crust

Prepare the crust:

Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper.

Place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor and coarsely grind about 15 one-second pulses. Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse until finely ground. Sprinkle the chunks of butter over the top of the flour-nut mixture and pulse until the mixture starts to bind together.

Press the crust mix into the baking dish, making it as even as possible. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the crust from the freezer and bake for 20-25 minutes, until beginning to color around the edges.

Prepare the cranberry curd.

Pour the warm cranberry curd onto the walnut crust. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, until the curd has set but still jiggles slightly in the center. Cool completely and refrigerate before cutting.

To cut the triangles and diamonds, lift them from the pan using the parchment paper as handles. Trim off the sides to make even edges if desired. Dust the tops of the bars with powdered sugar just before serving and use a sharp knife to cut them into the shapes you desire. The powdered sugar will melt into the cranberry curd, making the sweet glaze.

Keep the bars refrigerated until you’re ready to eat them.