Brandied Fruit Bars

Today is the 2nd annual Kinky Cookie Recipe Exchange! -- Thank you Jz for hosting/coordinating this year -- you rock!

I bake 100's of cookies every year -- and I don't do it by making them one at a time -- I do lots of bar cookies and in that spirit -- Here's my brandied fruit bars recipe!

You need to start the fruit and brandy at least a day --but even better a week before you want to make these!

1.5 lbs dried fruits (about 3 cups firmly packed)

1/2 cup brandy (don't go crazy and buy the best -- but avoid the rot-gut)

7 oz (2 cups) pecan halves (toasted)

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

unflavored dried bread crumbs

For the fruit -- I like pineapple/dried cherry/currants and apricot/raisins/cranberries

whatever you like -- but choose flavors that go well together and have different colors to make them pretty (this year -- I'm trying cranberry, cherry, white raisin and a tiny bit of minced candied ginger -- doesn't it look pretty?)

pack the fruit into a mason jar or a zip lock bag -- and add the brandy -- seal it up and let it soak - -turn the jar over a few times a day -- and let the brandy get into the fruit and the fruit get into the brandy -- I've done this weeks in advance --

preheat the oven and put the rack in the middle -- 350 degrees

line the inside of a 9 x 13 pan with alum. foil and butter the inside  I do this by lining the pan and putting in a pat of butter -- I put it in the oven for a minute to melt the butter and use a pastry brush to coat the foil -- dust with unflavored bread crumbs and set pan aside.

sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

in a mixer, beat eggs just to mix -- add sugar and beat to mix -- add dry ingredients and beat just until mixed in (not too long!). Fold in the fruit -- all the brandy in the jars and the toasted nuts and turn the batter into the prepared pan - bake for 45 minutes.

Cool -- turn out and remove foil -- cut in small squares with a serrated bread knife(sometimes I freeze the whole thing unsliced and then cut them when I'm ready to do the cookie exchange)

these taste like what fruit cake is supposed to taste like -- yummy and pretty like little jewels -- this will convert you to a fruit cake lover!

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