Fruit And Nut Festive Bars Recipes

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add flour and baking soda; mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled.
• Heat oven to 325°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Spray with cooking spray. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 15x11-inch rectangle; press onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Prick bottom of crust in several places with fork. Bake 10 min.
• Mix sweetened condensed milk and eggs until blended; pour into crust. Top with remaining ingredients.
• Bake 20 min. or until center is almost set. Remove from oven; cool completely. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan before cutting into 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.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 325.
• 2. Grind whole flaxseed in a coffee or spice grinder. Combine with peanut butter, honey, salt, and water in large bowl and stir to combine.
• 3. Add dried fruits, nuts and seeds in whatever combination you like. Batter will be very stiff.
• 4. Spray 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick spray and divide batter evenly into cups. Use damp fingers to press batter into cups and flatten tops.
• 5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until tops are dry and edges are a deep, toasty brown (bars will not rise). Cool completely and store in air-tight container for up to two weeks.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C and lightly grease and line the base and sides of a deep 22-23cm round loose-based cake tin with Bake-o-Glide or baking parchment (see overleaf). Beat the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, ground almonds and spices until thoroughly mixed and creamy, preferably with an electric beater or in a food mixer.
• Measure off 100g/4oz of the cake mixture, put in a bowl and set aside. Fold the fruit and rum into the remaining mixture, then gently stir in the marzipan. Spoon this mixture into the prepared cake tin and flatten with a spatula to make a smooth even surface, then make a slight dip in the centre of the cake. This simple trick will give the finished cake a nice flat top. Bake for 11⁄4 hours.
• While the cake is in the oven, make the fruit and nut topping. Mix all the nuts, cherries and syrup into the remaining cake mixture (see tip overleaf). Spoon the mixture on top of the part-cooked cake (once it has had its 11⁄4 hours), evenly distributing the mixture of nuts and cherries across the surface of the cake. Loosely cover the top of the tin with foil.
• Return to the oven for 40 minutes more, then take off the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, so the nuts can turn golden. Keep an eye on them, so they don't get too dark. To test the cake mixture is cooked, insert a fine skewer into the cake - if it comes out clean then it's ready. Cool in the tin then turn out, keeping the lining on, and wrap with foil. (The cake will keep for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen for up to 2 months.)
• To serve, remove the cake from the foil and strip away the lining. Place on a board or serving plate and tie with a decorative ribbon.

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 200°C and line a 24cm square cake tin with baking paper.
• Press in the thawed pastry, lifting the edges to form a 1cm rim. Prick the pastry base with a fork all over.
• Scatter the cherries and the almonds evenly over the pastry, Then fill the gaps with sultanas. Set aside.
• Melt the butter and syrup together. Allow to cool.
• Beat in the eggs, vanilla and flouur into the cooled melted butter and syrup mixture.
• Pour this evenly over the pastry base and bake for approx 35 minutes, until the filling is set and firm to the touch.
• When cool, carefully slide onto a board & cut into rectangles.
• If desired decorate with melted chocolate by drizzling in lines over the top.

Steps:

• prepare cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan by lining with foil and spraying with cooking spray; they'll never come out of the pan otherwise!
• preheat oven to 400°F.
• steam dried fruit for about 15 minutes (I like to use Sun Maid Fruit Bits to get a variety and avoid the chopping).
• beat eggs.
• heat eggs and sugar in saucepan until sugar is melted.
• remove from heat and add salt and vanilla.
• add flour 1/2 cup at a time and stir until combined.
• stir in nuts (any kind, I like pecans).
• pour into prepared pan, taking care to fill the corners, the mixture is very sticky.
• bake 15-16 minutes.
• let cool completely.
• turn tray upside down onto cutting board, gently peel foil, then cut into bars.