Makes: About 1 dozen
Time: About 1 hour
Fruitcake has a bad reputation, and if you’ve had it with neon candied fruit, you know why. But this version is much different, a chewy and lightly sweet bar of dried fruit and nuts that’s barely held together with a brown sugar batter. Walnuts, cherries, and dates are most common here, but use whichever nuts and combination of dried fruit you like, as long as you get them to a roughly uniform size before you add the pieces.
1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt In a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until fully incorporated. Add the dried fruit and nuts, using your hands to mix so that every piece is lightly coated in batter.
3. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until just set. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting. These will keep in an airtight container for a week.
TROPICAL FRUIT BARS Use ⅔ cup each dried mango, dried pineapple, dried peach, and shredded unsweetened coconut. Mash ½ banana and substitute that for the egg to make this vegan (and extra-tropical).
GINGERY FRUITCAKE BARS Decrease the dried fruit to 2 cups and add ½ cup chopped candied ginger to the mixture.
RUM-SOAKED FRUITCAKE BARS A more traditional version: In a saucepan, combine the dried fruit with ⅔ cup spiced rum and simmer until the fruit has absorbed most of the liquid. Cool completely before adding to the batter.