Cranberry Lemon Bars

Sometimes, the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts. Such was the case with this bar recipe, that was too thin, too tart, and too disappointing.

The recipe is from NYT Cooking. The first sign of trouble was making the cookie base. In the 9x13 pan, it pressed out into a very thin layer, barely enough to cover the bottom.

Once cooled, I covered it with the cranberry jam. I was distracted by all of the curled up skins, and would have preferred a smoother (pureed) jam. The lemon layer is also quite thin, and the cranberry peeked through in spots.

After baking, cooling and slicing, each square turned out nicely. Despite my complaints of thinness, each layer is distinct. But I think the proportions are all out of whack here: not enough filling compared to the crust, and the cranberry-lemon combo really packs a mouth-puckering punch.