These are truly a Christmas cookie bar. They’re topped with candied fruit that adds visual appeal and texture as well as flavor.
Yield: 3 to 4 dozen
Active time: 15 minutes
Start to finish: 50 minutes
1 tablespoon egg replacement powder, such as Ener-G
2/3 cup peanut oil
11/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
11/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup chopped candied fruits
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
2. Mix egg replacement powder with 1/4 cup cold water, and set aside. Combine oil and sugar in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth. Scrape mixture into a mixing bowl. Cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk egg replacement mixture and vanilla into the mixing bowl, beating until smooth. Beat in baking powder and salt, and then all-purpose and whole-wheat flours.
4. Scrape batter into the prepared pan, and pat the candied fruit evenly over the top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the pan on a cooling rack, and then cut into bars.
Note: Keep cookies in an airtight container, layered between sheets of waxed paper or parchment, at room temperature for up to 5 days. Cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Variations:
Substitute dried cherries, dried cranberries, or chopped dried strawberries for the candied fruit.
Substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract.