Fresh Fruit Bars Recipes

FRUIT ICE POPS

Steps:

• Combine blueberry pop ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into 5 of the pop molds. Repeat process with strawberry pop ingredients. Place in freezer for at least 5 hours or overnight.

FRESH FRUIT AND YOGURT ICE POPS

Steps:

• Place the mixed blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, sliced bananas, yogurt, and sugar into a blender. Cover, and blend until fruit is chunky or smooth, as desired.
• Fill paper cups 3/4 full with fruit mixture. Cover the top of each cup with a strip of aluminum foil. Poke a popsicle stick through the center of the foil on each cup.
• Place the cups in the freezer for at least 5 hours. To serve, remove foil and peel off the paper cup.

FRUIT-FILLED OATMEAL BARS

Steps:

• In mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda.
• Cut in margarine/butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour mixture.
• Press remaining flour mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x9x2 baking pan.
• Spread with desired filling.
• Sprinkle with reserved flour mixture.
• Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden.
• Cool in pan on wire rack.
• Cut into bars.
• FILLING OPTIONS:.
• ***Following cookbook's 'shortcut' suggestion of substituting 10 oz jar of preserves in place of homemade filling, I used a store-bought, very dense, low-moisture apple butter (like a thick jam). I have also tried it with blueberry preserves but the preserves were too moist--it made the bars sticky not good.***.
• RAISIN FILLING:.
• In medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Add 1 cup raisins. Cook & stir until thickened & bubbly.
• APPLE-CINNAMON FILLING:.
• Peel/core/chop 2 medium apples. In medium saucepan, combine apples, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and a dash of ground cloves. Bring apple mixture to a boil; reduce heat & simmer 8-10 minutes or until apples are very tender.
• APRICOT-COCONUT FILLING:.
• In medium saucepan, combine 1 cup diced dried apricots and 3/4 cup water. Bring apricot mixture to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon all purpose flour. Stir into apricot mixture. Cook and stir 1 minute more or until mixture is very thick. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut.

EASY BERRY BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, softened butter and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until well blended. Spread evenly in pan.
• Bake 19 to 24 minutes or until top is evenly golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Spread frosting evenly over cooled bars. Top with berries up to 2 hours before serving. For 48 bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

FRESH FRUIT BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, combine oranges, banana, apples, raisins, orange juice, and 1 tsp of the ground cinnamon; set aside.
• Beat together margarine, applesauce and brown sugar until creamy. Add flour, oatmeal and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, to the sugar mixture; mix well.
• Measure out 1 1/4 cups of the batter and reserve for topping. Lightly press the remaining oat mixture onto bottom of ungreased 9" x 13" baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven; spread fruit mixture evenly over crust to within 1/4" of the edges. Sprinkle oat mixture evenly over fruit, patting gently. Bake 16-20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool completely; cut into bars.
• Store loosely covered.

ALMOND FRUIT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy; beat in egg yolk. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Stir in almonds.
• In a small bowl, whisk jam to loosen. (Stirring the jam with a fork or a whisk will enable it to spread smoothly over the dough.) Gently press half of dough into bottom of prepared dish. With the back of a spoon, gently spread jam over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border so the jam doesn't stick to the sides of the pan. Sprinkle remaining dough over top all the way to the edges; press gently to form top layer.
• Bake until top is golden, 25 to 30 minutes; cool completely in dish. Cut into bars with a serrated knife.

GRANDPA'S FRUIT BARS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the raisins, dates and liqueur. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter or margarine, the two sugars, the whole egg, the egg white and the vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, if using, flour and baking soda until thoroughly blended. Add the nuts and the macerated fruit. The dough will be sticky.
• Using well-floured hands or the back of a spoon, press the dough into a foil-lined, 10-by-15-inch jellyroll pan.
• Mix the yolk and the water. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the egg wash.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the dough is light golden. Cool 10 minutes, then cut into 1-by-2-inch bars.

FRUIT CRUMB BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in oats and brown sugar. Using your fingers, work butter into mixture until combined; mixture should be crumbly but hold together.
• Line an 11-by-17-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Press 5 cups oat mixture into bottom of pan. Spread desired filling over oat mixture. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over filling. Bake until golden, about 40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool. Cut into 1 1/4-by-2 1/2-inch pieces; makes about 60.