Cranberry Star Anise Pie Bars

Preparation

To make the pie crust:

1. Mix water and salt in a small bowl and place in the freezer. 
2. Place flour in a large mixing bowl, add cold butter and break up the butter into flour, pinching with your fingers until butter chunks are pea-sized. 
3. Add water and mix until the dough just comes together. 
4. Separate dough in half and flatten into two discs, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 
5. Roll out one dough on a floured surface into a rectangle until the dough is about ¼ inch thick and is about 1 inch bigger than a 9 x 13 baking sheet.
6. Carefully place in the baking sheet, trim excess dough to about 1 inch overhang, place in the fridge

To make the filling:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat and bring to boil, stirring frequently.
2. Cook for about 10 minutes until the cranberries have burst and the filling has thickened.
3. Remove from the heat, remove the star anise pods and let the filling cool. 

To assemble:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F
2. Remove the baking sheet and the second dough from the fridge.
3. Fill the dough lined sheet with the cooled cranberry filling and smooth out with a spatula to even out. 
4. Roll out the second dough on a well floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick and about 1 inch wider than the baking sheet. 
5. Leaving about a 1 inch border, use a small circular or oval cookie cutter to cut holes in alternating vertical rows about 1.5 inches apart, until you have a "fake" lattice pattern. 
6. Carefully loosen the dough from the surface and transfer to the baking sheet to cover the cranberry filling. 
7. Fold the overhang under itself around the dough, pinch together and crimp with fingers.
8. Brush with egg wash and place in the oven with a larger baking sheet on the rack below it to catch any potential filling that could boil over.
9. Bake for 40-45 minutes, about three-quarters of the way through baking, remove from the oven and sprinkle the top of the dough with the Lavender Sugar then continue baking until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
11. Serve warm, at room temperature, or even a la mode!
12. Enjoy!

Watch us make it on Tiny Kitchen Cooking below!

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