Let’s talk about this girl for a sec, shall we?
She lost 68 pounds between May of 2003 and August of 2007. Then, she started training for a marathon.
Well, she started training for a half marathon, but someone dared her to do the full. She decided she would, on the spot. After all, this girl was both a runner and a Weight Watcher….surely, it was the way to goal.
But, this same girl had no idea how to eat as a long-distance runner. Sure, she knew how to eat, but somehow, she turned to 100 calorie packs as a treat on long run days. PACKS. Plural. She poorly balanced her carbs, fruit, and veggies. Oh, but she ran. And she got fast.
And then, in a completely unrelated twist-of-fate, she got injured. By the time she ran the marathon, she packed 10 pounds back on. But, she finished the marathon and raised a lot of money for a good cause.
She’s er, I’m telling you this story because the lovely girl in the picture sacrificed a lot of things for artificially sweetened products. These products made her reach for more….and more….and more….and- well, you get the picture.
So this time around I’m (ok, it’s me, I’m sure you figured that out) not sacrificing real sugar for artificial. I really enjoy baking, and I think it’s more important that I learn portion control than just eat something because it’s P+ friendly friendlier.
I like my sweets, so I renovated something I had a deliciously festive sample of the other day. I halved the recipe and removed some of the garnish to keep the P+ down. Eats like a small-ish decadent cookie. Little brother says they’re delicious. (So do I, but I’m biased.)
Cranberry Bliss Bars
Recipe adapted from Food.com
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup butter (1 stick, very soft)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1/8 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, 1 egg white
- 1/4 tsp lemon extract
- 1/3 cup (dried cranberries)
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
Frosting
- 1 ounces neufchatel cheese, softened
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1/4 tsp lemon extract
- 1/8 – 1/4 c nonfat milk
Directions:
Bars:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8×8 inch pan with cooking spray.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and ginger together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. With an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and well blended. Mix in egg, egg white, and lemon extract.
4. Add dry ingredients and mix until the texture reminds you of chocolate chip cookie dough. Add cranberries and chips, and stir until just incorporated.
5. Spread the thick batter in the prepared 8×8 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 20-24 minutes, or until light brown at edges and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
Frosting:
1. Beat together neufchatel, confectioner’s sugar, and lemon extract.
2. Add milk gradually until the texture of the frosting is spreadable, but NOT a liquid. I used about 1/8 cup.
3. Frost when completely cooled. Slice into 16 servings.



