Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. This step is crucial as it ensures that the bars bake evenly. While the oven heats, prepare your baking pan.
Spray a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper. This will prevent the bars from sticking and make it easier to lift them out later.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This process should take about 3 minutes, and it’s key to achieving a airy texture in your bars.
Once the mixture is light, add in the eggs, orange zest, and vanilla extract; continue mixing until everything is well combined.
Sift the flour, kosher salt, and pumpkin pie spice together in a separate bowl. This step helps to aerate the dry ingredients and ensures there are no lumps.
Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, beating well to combine. The batter will be thick, which is perfect for these bars.
Now, gently fold in the minced dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Be careful not to overmix; you want to keep the batter fluffy.
Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Make sure to smooth the top, so the bars bake evenly.
Bake in your preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan.
While the cake cools, prepare the frosting by mixing together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and orange zest until smooth and creamy.
When the cake is cool, spread the frosting generously over the top. This creamy layer is what makes the bars truly indulgent.
Finally, garnish with dried cranberries, chopped pistachios, and white chocolate shavings for an elegant finish. Cut into wedges to serve, and enjoy!
