The Cooking Dish

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Breads
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts & Snacks
    • Drinks
    • Dinner
    • Sides
  • Blog
    • Food & Cooking
    • Chris in Real Life
    • Lifestyle
    • Reviews
    • Travel
    • Blogging & Tech
  • Essentials
  • Contact

Holiday Squares (Sunshine Bars) Recipe

December 12, 2011 by Chris Mower 11 Comments

Share23
Tweet
Pin200
Yum1
Reddit

I blinked once and the Christmas season was here; I blinked twice and now it’s almost over. I’m considering holding my eyes open with toothpicks à la Odysseus so I won’t blink again. Not really, but maybe I should because it would be a shame for Christmas to pass without sharing at least a few more Christmas recipes with you. (Read about Christmas Lollipop Cookies.)

The Christmas treats I’m sharing today are some of my favorites for many reasons:

  • They are festive and come out of the oven dressed to party.
  • They’re extremely easy to make.
  • The masses love them. So do the non-masses.
  • You can take them to work and your co-workers will love you.
  • They make your house smell divine.
  • They can tell the future, and so much more!

I should warn you though. They also have an identity crisis, and I’m afraid it confuses the children. After eating these, my kids have been known to say some pretty odd things. Check these doozies out.

“Daddy, I’m thirsty. But I’m not. But I am.” — Robyn
“I want corn flakes for breakfast! But I don’t. But I do. Can I have biscuits?” — Maggie
“You’re silly, Daddy. But I am. But you’re not. But I’m not. But I am!” — Robyn
“I’m tired (closes eyes). But I’m not (opens eyes). I’m tired (closes eyes). But I’m not (opens eyes)!” — Robyn

And my personal favorite, which has happened more than once…

Robyn runs up to me doing the potty dance, “DADDY! I have to go bathroom! But I don’t. But I do! But I don’t.” She’s still doing the dance, when she starts to scream bloody murder (no exaggeration) “AHHHHHH!!!! BUT I DO!” And this is when all heck breaks loose.

From my observations they have similar effects on adults, “I want another. No I don’t. But I do. But I shouldn’t. But I’m going to.” This too is when all heck breaks loose, though the effects aren’t noticeable until a couple of days later.

Now that you’ve been warned, let me explain. Apparently someone decided it would be sinful to only eat these during Christmas, and because it’s bad mojo to make Christmas treats in July, they were renamed for the off-season. Therefore, during the November/December holiday stretch these delicious treats are called Holiday Squares, but they’re not. But they are. When they’re made at any other time of the year (January through October), they’re called Sunshine Bars. But they’re not. But seriously, they are.

If they become a favorite at your house, both they and I insist that you call them by their proper name during the proper time.

Holiday Squares

holiday-squares-the-cooking-dish-chris-mower-019

Ingredients

Note: I’m not sure from where this recipe originates, but the original does not call for orange zest, orange juice, or nutmeg; those are my additions. And maybe I’m a little biased, but I think their addition is a must.

By Volume

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 can cherry pie filling (20 oz)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup margarine
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Zest from one medium orange
  • 2-1/2 tablespoons orange juice (about 1/2 of a medium orange squeezed)
  • 1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

By Weight

  • 10 oz flour
  • 1 can cherry pie filling (20 oz)
  • 8 oz large eggs
  • 8 oz margarine
  • 8 oz sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • .60 oz zest from one medium orange
  • 2-1/2 tablespoons orange juice (about 1/2 of a medium orange squeezed)
  • 1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Method

Another note: Burned out kitchen lights + late night + old school camera = yellow tinted pictures. Your batter, though orange in hue, will not be as yellow as these pictures look.

You must first make a very important (and potentially life-changing) decision: Are you making Holiday Squares or Sunshine Bars? (Not that it’s any different.) Then gather all your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350°F. It would also be helpful to spray a cookie sheet now so you don’t forget to do it later.

Add your sugar to a large mixing bowl and zest your orange into the sugar. I use the entire zest of a medium-sized orange, which gives me anywhere from .30 oz – .60 oz, depending on the orange’s freshness.

With your fingers, massage the zest into the sugar until it turns bright orange. It takes about 3 minutes. I love this part because I love using my hands and it smells so good! If you’re in a hurry, go to the next step. If you’re not, then take a five-minute break to stop and take in the lovely aroma.

Add in your margarine and cream it together with the sugar.

Add in your eggs and vanilla. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice from one of the halves in. Wish I had a picture for you of me squeezing the orange, but I started eating the other half and forgot to take a picture. I can’t resist good fruit. Mix it all together. Your mixture will be runny, but very tasty.

In a separate bowl, mix together your flour and nutmeg, then add it to the other mixture to form your batter.

Mix it all together until it’s uniformly distributed. At this point it will be relatively thick and sticky.

Scrape your batter into your sprayed cookie sheet. (You did spray it at the beginning, right?) Evenly spread the batter. The batter can be a bit stubborn, so sometimes I pick it up and shake it around to flatten it out.

Divide it into 20 equal squares.

Drop a tablespoon of cherry pie filling into the center of each square. It gives you three to four cherries and some syrup in each one.

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar for a nice finishing touch. I have also made a light vanilla glaze to drizzle of the tops of these, which adds a nice touch. Cut into squares and serve warm! (I actually made this batch for a work Christmas social, so there are no pictures of it all cut up and arranged into individual servings, but I’m sure you can handle it.)

And that’s it! I hope you enjoy this recipe, it’s been one of my family’s favorites for years.

Download

Holiday Squares Recipe (Sunshine Bars) (PDF, 2 pages, 897 KB, includes pictures)

Holiday Squares (Sunshine Bars) Recipe
Yum
Print Recipe
  • CourseDesserts & Snacks
Holiday Squares (Sunshine Bars) Recipe
Yum
Print Recipe
  • CourseDesserts & Snacks
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
Share23
Tweet
Pin200
Yum1
Reddit

Thanks for Reading!

I love connecting with people around the world and sharing stories. If you're on any of these social media sites, please reach out, and let's get to know each other!

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Comments, Kudos, and Thoughts

  1. Afton calmly says...

    December 12, 2011 at 11:30 pm

    I used to believe that any desserts that did not have chocolate in them were not worth eating. I must honestly confess that every year these have gotten yummier. The recent addition of orange juice and zest have seriously added to the wonderful aroma AND to the taste. Fabulous job, honey! These are delicious. Will you make another batch soon?? ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Chris Mower pleasantly chimes...

      December 12, 2011 at 11:34 pm

      They must be good if even the world’s biggest chocolate addict is converting ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
  2. Diane {Created by Diane} proudly asserts...

    December 13, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    Looks wonderful!

    Reply
    • Chris Mower vivaciously expresses...

      December 15, 2011 at 11:07 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  3. TJ Mower vivaciously relates...

    December 31, 2011 at 7:33 pm

    I got this recipe from a friend when I lived in North Dakota. I have no idea where she got it but I was an instant convert to “Sunshine Bars”!

    Reply
  4. Elizabeth Parker victoriously claims...

    April 6, 2018 at 11:48 am

    My mom made these A LOT when we were young. Probably as early as the early 1970’s. All of us kids would devour them!

    Reply
    • Chris Mower beautifully chimes...

      May 17, 2018 at 2:57 pm

      I’d love to find out where these originated. As I’ve shared the recipe with people all over, so many have said they used to make them too! I guess there’s a reason they’ve stuck around. They’re so delicious. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  5. Cecette bravely claims...

    January 29, 2020 at 2:10 pm

    Hi!
    What size pan did you use? I have a half a sheet pan and wondering if I should double the recipe.

    Reply
    • Chris Mower bravely scribbles...

      January 30, 2020 at 9:12 am

      I use the half-sheet also (I believe itโ€™s 18โ€ x 13โ€).

      Reply
  6. Debbie K. attractively claims...

    April 20, 2020 at 7:15 am

    Are they supposed to rise? Mine came out more like a cookie. Not puffy or soft. They were good but I thought they were supposed to rise a bit. Is there no baking powder or baking soda in them?

    Reply
    • Chris Mower pleasantly reveals...

      September 11, 2020 at 9:19 am

      They’re supposed to be a mix between a cake and a cookie. They don’t really rise too much, but do get slightly puffy and remain generally soft. The egg is what creates the puff in this case. A few things to try for next time:

      1) Cream the butter and sugar together until it’s nice and white-ish and fluffy.
      2) Avoid over-beating the eggs
      3) Make sure you’re using fresh flour. Old ingredients can keep baked goods from puffing.

      Reply

Share what's on your mind! Cancel reply

I'd love to hear what you have to say, so please leave a comment below. Just be sure to use your real name or I might (accidentally) mark it as spam! If you'd like a nifty picture by your name, check out Gravatar.com. Type away, amigo.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign Up for Awesomeness

Join The Cooking Dish newsletter and receive special newsletter-only offers, tips, and more. I will NEVER EVER spam you.

Looking for Something?

Let’s Be Friends

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

The Cooking Dish Affiliates

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Take Cooking Classes Online with CraftsyPhotographing Food CourseGenesis Framework for WordPressShopify makes it easy to open an online store by providing all the tools and help you need. Try it for free!

Recent Posts

  • Minimalist Shoes (Barefoot Shoes) and Where to Buy Them
  • Let food by thy medicine
  • Havanese Puppy Shopping List
  • Food Bloggers from IFBC: A Short Q&A
  • Stay Home if Reject Food and Customs

Recent Comments

  • Khomini on Chef’s Knife: How to Hold and Wash It
  • Chris Mower on Nonstick Pans: Top 10 Rules for Using Them
  • Jhon Macklin on Nonstick Pans: Top 10 Rules for Using Them
  • Chris Mower on Nonstick Pans: Top 10 Rules for Using Them
  • Chris Mower on How to Blacken Chicken or Fish
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Copyright ©2025 · Chris Mower & The Cooking Dish
Built con queriño on the Genesis Framework
 

Loading Comments...