Looking for a cute little cookie that would be perfect for a tea party or bridal shower?  Strawberry Oregano Shortbread is a delicate, flavorful and pretty pink cookie that would be perfect for any such  occasion!  A combination of flavors that are a little out of the ordinary makes this cookie special and when you are planning an event, being able to make it the day before and allowing the flavors to develop is a big plus for a tiny cookie. 

     Welcome to my newest cookie experiment! 
      Once again, an idea has come into my mind that I simply had to give a try.   It happens when I have ingredients in my house that I feel like I need to use.  Then, I think about who in my family would like whatever I come up with and if I can make it to fit their dietary needs or restrictions.  

       In my pantry, I had a couple of different kinds of almond butter.  One of my grandsons is allergic to peanuts and other nuts, but not almonds which is apparently not really a nut.  One of the types of almond butter I had was a caramel almond butter that sounded pretty delicious!  I also have lots of jam and I thought to myself, "Self, you know I think that apple butter would taste really good with that caramel almond butter!"  I agreed with myself and I then began to think that a thumbprint cookie made from the almond butter and the apple butter would be great together.  The idea took off from there. 

     When I was a young girls, for some reason, Groundhog day was always a fun day.  Probably because everyone had a guess about whether of not the groundhog would see his shadow and because at school there were always little activities surrounding the day.  
     Of course, Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell took Groundhog Day to a new level in the movie of the same name! The reality is that originally, Groundhog Day had nothing to do with reliving the same day over and over again.  However, watching the movie would be a fun way to culminate a day of celebrating the cute little groundhog and all that he represents!  
​      Read on and find some fun ways to celebrate and to learn all about Groundhog Day! 

    We are celebrating Christmas by doing "blog-mas" this month, and that means sharing something awesome with you everyday this month, (except for 1 weekend).  Be sure to stop by daily to find out what Christmasy thing we are sharing each day! 

    I am so excited to share today's recipe with you because I was inspired by some limes that I needed to use up and I wanted to make them into a holiday treat.  I decided that cranberries definitely say holiday and would go great with lime.  Plus, red and green are Christmas colors, so this idea for Cranberry Lime Bar Cookies had to be good!  I love it when I am right!  

    Because cranberries have such a strong, tart flavor, I worried that the limes, which are also tart of course, would be over shadowed and that the cookies would be just TOO tart.  But, when I bit into these delicious and beautiful bars, my fears went away!  The sugar and the buttery crust did their job and these little bars are both completely delicious and beautifully elegant enough for a fancy holiday dinner. 

    I used fresh cranberries in my recipe.  You just put them in water and let them simmer for a few minutes to soften them up. I loved hearing the skins popping as they simmered. Then, I crushed them in the food processor!  The filling mixed up so easily in that thing! 

    These bars go together in a similar way as lemon bars, with the crust at the bottom.  To ramp up the lime flavor in the bar, I put half of the lime's zest into the crust. (about a tsp.)

    When the Cranberry Lime Bars come out of the oven, they will be nicely set and just getting a hint of brown on them.  I love the pretty red color and the bits of cranberry that you can see! 
    Next, after they cool for a few minutes, you sprinkle powdered sugar on them like you mean it! 

    These bars taste great warm or cool!  I cut mine into 15 largish squares.  I like to eat mine with a fork so as not to get the powdered sugar all over the place.  Plus, they seem more fancy that way! 

    I love how the cranberry lime filling turns into a clear, beautiful jelly!  They are so wonderful! Trust me, your people will devour them.  My husband adored them.  Here is the recipe! 
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If you enjoy these bars, here are some other recipes you might enjoy: 

• Blackberry Lemon Bars
• The Best Brownies Ever and They're Gluten Free! 
• Renny's Light The World with Cookies