Fruitcake Bar Cookies Recipes

FRUITCAKE BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla. Add flour and walnuts; mix well. Spread evenly into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with pineapple, cherries and dates; press lightly into dough. , Bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

FRUITCAKE BAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch pan. (Or spray with nonfat cooking spray).
• In a small bowl, blend flour, salt, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and eggs at medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in rum or brandy extract.
• Stir in flour, dates, candied fruits, 1/2 cup cherries and nuts. Spread in prepared pan and bake 30 minutes until golden. Cool on wire rack, in pan.
• In the meantime, prepare the frosting by mixing together sugar and milk. Stir until smooth; then cover with a damp cloth until ready to use.
• When cake has cooled, frost, suing a spatula.
• Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars and decorate with red and green candied cherries. Store in a covered container, with pieces of wax paper between layers.

FRUITCAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Snip off the hard stems of the figs with scissors or a small knife and coarsely chop the figs. In a medium bowl, combine the figs, raisins, cherries, apricots, honey, sherry, lemon juice, pecans, and a pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit overnight at room temperature.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cloves, superfine sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and mix until incorporated. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt just until combined. Don't over mix! Add the fruits and nuts, including any liquid in the bowl.
• Divide the dough in half and place each half on the long edge of a 12 by 18-inch piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll each half into a log, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4-inch thick, making an 18-inch-long roll. Refrigerate the dough for several hours, or until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• With a small, sharp knife, cut the logs into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place the slices 1/2-inch apart on ungreased sheet pans and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden.

CHOCOLATE CHIP FRUITCAKE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. Break up 2/3 of cookie dough into pan. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust.
• Break up remaining 1/3 of dough into small bowl. Add candied fruit and flour; mix well. Spread jam over dough in pan. Sprinkle with candied fruit mixture; press lightly into jam.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Lightly dust with powdered sugar. Cut into bars.
• Line the pan with foil, allowing enough foil to make the bars easy to lift and transfer to a flat surface for cutting.

FESTIVE FRUITCAKE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. In large bowl, mix 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, butter, orange peel, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and egg with spoon.
• In medium bowl, mix 1/4 cup flour, the cherries, dates and pecans; stir into brown sugar mixture. Spread in pan.
• Bake about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat all Orange Glaze ingredients over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens slightly. Drizzle cooled bars with glaze. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 3 rows.

EASY FRUITCAKE BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and orange zest until blended. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture until well combined. Stir in walnuts and the reserved fruit mixture., Spread into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

FRUITCAKE COOKIES II

Steps:

• Sift the flour, measure and sift it again with the baking soda and salt.
• Cream the shortening add the sugar and eggs. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the milk and flour mixture, mixing well. Stir in the nuts, dates, cherries and candied peel. Cover and chill dough for several hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Drop chilled dough by teaspoons, 2 inches apart, onto lightly greased baking sheets. Top each cookie with a half of a candied cherry. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes.

FRUITCAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; butter paper, and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, heat brandy until simmering. Remove from heat, and stir in fruit; cool to room temperature. Toss brandied fruit with 1 cup flour mixture; set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; mix in vanilla. With mixer on low, add remaining flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in fruit mixture; transfer batter to prepared pan, and smooth top.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan for 1 hour. Using paper overhang, lift out of pan; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (still on paper). Invert fruitcake, and peel off paper; flip upright, and cut into 24 diamonds with a serrated knife. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

WHITE CHOCOLATE FRUITCAKE BARS

Steps:

• Make the Shortbread:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8" square metal pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. Butter parchment.
• Whisk flour, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed (or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat granulated sugar and 1 1/4 cups butter in a large bowl, scraping down sides, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium, add egg, and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute more. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in orange zest, ginger, and vanilla.
• With the mixer running on low speed, add dry ingredients and beat just until combined with some visible flour remaining. Add cranberries, coconut, and chocolate. Beat just until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl, then fold dough once or twice with a spatula.
• Scrape dough into prepared pan. Using dampened fingers or a damp offset spatula, press dough evenly into pan. Bake shortbread until lightly golden brown and set, 25-30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool.
• Do Ahead: Shortbread can be baked 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• Make the Glaze and Assemble:
• Heat chocolate, oil, and salt in a small heatproof bowl in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth and glossy, about 1 minute total. Set aside 2 Tbsp. glaze, then pour remaining glaze over cooled shortbread in pan, spreading to the edges. Let sit at room temperature until set (if you're impatient, chill 10-15 minutes).
• Run a paring knife around edge of pan to release, then remove shortbread from pan using parchment overhang. Slice into bars. To slice into diamonds, cut into five 1 1/2" strips, then slice each strip on the bias into 1" diamonds.
• Rewarm reserved glaze and drizzle over bars in stripes with a spoon. Top with sprinkles. Let sit at room temperature until set (or chill for 8-10 minutes).
• Do Ahead: Bars can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE BARS

Steps:

• 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.

FRUITCAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides. Butter parchment. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, and baking powder.
• Pulse almond paste in a food processor until crumbly; add sugar and pulse just to combine. Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 2 tablespoons kirsch. Add flour mixture, beating on low speed, until fully combined. Beat in fruit.
• Scrape batter into prepared sheet, smoothing top with an off-set spatula. Bake until pale golden, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons kirsch. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let cool 45 minutes. Use parchment overhang to lift out of pan; let cool completely on rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and preferably overnight. Using a sharp knife, trim edges and cut into 1 1/4-inch squares.
• Working in batches and keeping the rest in the refrigerator, place one cookie on a fork. Spoon fondant over top, allowing it to coat entire cake and excess to drip back into bowl. Place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to set. If at any time fondant gets too thick, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and warm in the microwave or over a pot of simmering water. Let cookies stand until set, about 30 minutes. If desired, decorate with a few flecks of edible gold leaf. Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container up to 5 days.