Fruitcake Bars

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried apricot, diced
• 1 cup pitted dates, diced
• 2 tablespoons rum or 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 orange, zest of
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted, chopped
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Recipe

• 1 spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
• 2 combine the apricots, dates and rum or orange juice in a small bowl; let stand for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 3 preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• 4 with an electric mixer beat the brown sugar and butter in a large bowl on medium speed until well blended.
• 5 add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; stir in the orange zest and vanilla beating until blended.
• 6 add the flour and salt; beating until blended.
• 7 stir in the dried fruit, pecans and semisweet chocolate chips.
• 8 spread the batter in prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and edges begin to pull away from the sides of pan.
• 9 sprinkle with chocolate chips; let stand until the chips are spreadable.
• 10 spread the chips gently over the top, cool completely on a wire rack and cut into bars.