Holiday Fruitcake Bars

"No time to make a fruitcake for the holidays? This quick bar cookie will satisfy your cravings. This recipe combines the best of several recipes I’ve tried over the years."
 
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photo by Calee photo by Calee
photo by Calee
Ready In:
40mins
Ingredients:
11
Yields:
3 dozen
Serves:
36
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ingredients

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directions

  • Beat eggs with a mixer until they are golden yellow and doubled in volume – 2 or 3 minutes.
  • Add in 1 cup sifted powdered sugar and vanilla.
  • Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Take 2 tablespoons of flour mixture and stir in with candied fruit, nuts and currants, to keep fruit from clumping in the batter.
  • Add the rest of the flour mix to the eggs and sugar.
  • Fold fruit and nuts into batter.
  • Spoon batter into a well greased 11" by 7" pan.
  • Some years I use parchment paper instead.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
  • Mix together rum and second cup of powdered sugar to make a glaze.
  • Spread the icing onto the bars about 5 minutes after they’ve come out of the oven.
  • Let bars cool and cut into bars.

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Reviews

  1. These fruitcake bars were very good. My husband who is an avid fruitcake lover, enjoyed the taste, but felt the bar only tasted mildly like a fruitcake. I did not put the icing on the bar. I will still make the traditional fruitcake, but I am glad I found this recipe for an easy quick way to have something close to a fruitcake if even only mildly. Thanks for sharing.
     
  2. This was very good. I'm the only one in the house that likes fruitcake, so I was anxious for something easy to do, that didn't cost a lot. I was a little disappointed at the first taste, as I thought it was a little on the dry side. However, the next day it seemed more moist. Each day it seemed to get better. Also, I only used half the amount of glaze called for, and found it quite nice. Needless to say.....they are all gone. Many thanks for a terrific recipe.
     
  3. Wow, I love these bars alot. Easy to make I used rasins instead of currants. I also used ground pecans. Mine cooked in 25 minutes. Excellent idea instead of making traditional fruitcake. I am going to make this again. I made 2 batches one with the icing and one without. I prefer them without the icing. I think this is going to be the only recipe on my holiday goodie tray that doesnt have a ton of butter. Thanks Toni!!
     
  4. I lost my recipe for a fruitcake bar I made years ago and have looked all over for one similair. I know the one I had ,asked for spices but I followed this recipe and was very surprised on the out come. I used a 11x8 and it made 1 1/2 dozen small bars.Also I used only half the icing.As we dont like overly sweet.I used Captain Morgons spiced rum for the icing.Nice flavor without being overly boozy.I also used raisians in place of currants.I will be making these more often .Thank U so much for this recipe....
     
  5. My fiance loved these. His only complaint was that I would let him have the whole pan! I over baked them by about 5-10 minutes (I was outside running after kids and fiance didn't know why timer was going off). Because I over did them, they turned out a smidge dry. My fiance still inhaled them though, so it couldn't be that bad. I also used rum extract as I don't keep alcohol in the house. In place of currants, I subbed in raisins. And I used chopped walnuts for the nuts. Fiance suggested chopping up the walnuts a bit more finely next time. I was able to locate candied fruits in the bulk store and so we were able to keep that the same. :) In the future, I think I personally would cut back a little on the rum flavour in the glaze. I found it a little strong tasting. The "order" has been placed to whip these up at Christmas time again. Thanks for a great recipe, Toni! Now I don't have to worry that bought the "wrong" fruitcake at Christmas. (I don't actually eat it. I don't like it... never have. I had a whole piece of these bars though!! They were that good... I couldn't help it!) Thanks again!
     
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Tweaks

  1. These fruitcake bars were pretty close to the Christmas fruitcakes my grandma used to make. I did use rum extract instead of rum, maraschino cherries and dates for the dried fruit, and raisins for the currants. Thank you toni for posting this recipe brought, back nice memories.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>I come from a long line of wonderful cooks and doing my best to hold up that tradition. My great-grandparents owned a coffee shop; my Nana was also a great cook and started the tradition of baking around the holidays, both cookies and fruitcakes. After she died, now a decade ago, our family decided to continue in her honor. The picture above is my mother's (Chef Hot Pans) dining room table just before we packed up our Christmas cookie trays. More that 20 kinds of cookies, many of which are from 'Zaar recipes. <br /> <br />I myself am an amateur cook with a penchant for ethnic foods and spice. Currently reforming my menu in favor of healthy dishes lower in fat with lots of grains and vegetables. My favorite cuisines are Mexican, Southwestern and North African. <br /> <br /> <br />Some of my favorite public cookbooks include:</p> <li>ladypit's <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/mycookbook/book/33588> WW Core Recipes I Have Tried </a> </li> <p>&nbsp;</p> <li>shirl(j)831's <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/mycookbook/book/34888> Can this really be lowfat??? </a> </li> <p>&nbsp;</p> <li>julesong's <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/mycookbook/book/30566> Cooking Light Recipes </a> </li> <p>&nbsp;</p> <li>mariposa13's <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/mycookbook/book/44690> WW &amp; Lowfat Recipes </a> </li> <p><br /><img src=http://members.aol.com/sdnt4life/dpg.gif alt=Dirty /> <br /><a href=http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/tgifford/Game%20Room%20Banners/AM%20Banners/?action=view&amp;current=kitchen-special-hot2-1.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/tgifford/Game%20Room%20Banners/AM%20Banners/kitchen-special-hot2-1.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> <br /><img src=http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/Animation1.gif alt=Image /><img src=http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/4treasurehunt.gif alt=FFF#2 width=50% /> <br /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/purplechefhat.gif alt=Image /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/projects/chef3.jpg alt=Image /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/beartag_1_1.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/adopted_1_1.jpg border=0 alt=Adopted /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/200_artistrichardneuman-art-prints_.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/untitled.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/projects/200_PACpic.jpg border=0 alt=PAC /><img src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/projects/pacbanner.jpg border=0 alt=Photo /> <br /><img src=http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/World%20Tour/ZaarWorldTourFirst.gif alt=/ /><img src=http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/World%20Tour/ZWT2.gif alt=/ /> <br /><img src=http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/Zaar%20World%20Tour%203/ZWT3-Participation.gif alt=/ /><img src=http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/World%20Tour/AnimatedHostChallengeBanner.gif alt=ZWT3 /><img src=http://www.satsleuth.com/cooking/RecipeSwap2.JPG alt=width=50% /> <br /><img src=http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/cookbookswap.jpg alt=/ /></p>
 
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