Cuz nothing says it's the holidays like booze and dried fruit

booze-soaked dried fruit

Hello, my name is Stefania and I love fruitcake.  I know. I'm one of the only people on earth. I prefer my fruitcake in panettone form, but really, if it's a baked good that has booze and fruit, it's going in my mouth.

Anyway, since I have nothing better to do than to wait for my Amazon order to arrive in 47 separate shipments, I'm baking.

The December issue of Everyday Food has a recipe for a fruit bar based on the fruitcake theme. I'm making it for our open house and I've adapted the recipe to my taste below.

FRUITCAKE BARS

Don't freak because there's no levening in this "cake."  It comes out yummy—like blondies with fruit added. (I'll post pics when I serve them.)

• 2 sticks of butter + more for greasing the pan
• parchment or waxed paper
• 2 leveled cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 cups of dried fruit (I used golden raisins, dried cranberries, and chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut (optional)
• 3/4 cup cognac
• 1/4 cup Grand Marnier
• 2 packed cups of brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs
• powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350º.

First prepare baking pan: brush a 9 x 13" pan with butter. Line with paper leaving a couple inches overhanging on two sides (to help remove bars later). Brush paper with butter, set aside.

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

Bring the combined boozes to a simmer. Dump in fruit. Mix well. Cool to room temp then toss with one cup of the flour mixture and the coconut. Mix well. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix. Add eggs one at a time incorporating well between each addition. Add remaining flour a little at a time until batter is just combined. Fold in fruit and mix until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Cool in pan for one hour then lift out onto wire rack to cool completely. Remove paper, cut into squares, dust with powdered sugar. Serve.

If making ahead (like I am): Wrap the uncut, cooled slab with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container up to two days ahead. Do not peel off waxed paper or cut the bars until ready to serve.

Comments

[Kim S.]

I love fruitcake too. I grew up on the stuff, what can I say? I also LOVE rum balls. I think its in the genes because I just had some rum balls last night and my daughter nearly bit off my hand trying to get to the rum ball it was holding.

[Deborah Dowd]

really good fruitcake is the food of the gods! And God Bless Amazon! Our tree would be very barren if not for them and the UPS man!

[Dawn]

I'm a fruitcake fan too :)

[Alisyn]

Hello, my name is Alisyn, and I love Stefania. This post is one of the 1,00,000 reasons why!!

[Alisyn]

add another 0.

if you're AWESOME.

[crazedparent]

I'm now officially craving fruitcake! I love pannettone too, toasted with real butter. Mmmm goodness.

[Roybama]

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