Cranberry bars with mulling spices

There are a lot of cranberry-centric recipes on this blog; here's one more from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. These were decent as far as a shortbread-y, streusel-y fruit bar is concerned, but when I want something with cranberries I want them to be front and center. For me, there wasn't enough cranberry in this bar; if I make something like these again I would almost double the amount of cranberry and maybe subtract the streusel topping. But it was good to use up the last of my fresh cranberry purchases from the Thanksgiving season, if anything.

• 
  
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, plus more at room temperature for the pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  1 large egg

filling:

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
3 cups fresh cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, and butter the sides and the parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices. With a pastry blender or fork, work the chilled butter  and the egg into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pat half the crumb base into the bottom of your prepared pan; it will be thin.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, briefly pulse the filling ingredients until the berries are coarsely chopped but not pureed. Spread the filling over the crumb base. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs evenly over the cranberry mixture.

Bake cookies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Cool completely before cutting into squares.