Fruitcake Bars

Whether an exchange of cookies, biscuits and coffee with friends or cookies as gifts, why not do something different this year and make these delicious bars fruitcake? These frosted bars are sure to make your family and friends forget all the bad jokes fruitcake they have never heard or said!

BARS fruitcake
1 cup dried pears
1 cup black raisins
1 cup dried figs
1 / 2 cup dark rum
3 / 4 cup all-purpose flour
1 / 2 c. baking powder
1 / 2 c. teaspoon ground ginger
1 / 2 c. salt
1 / 4 c. nutmeg
1 / 2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 / 3 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 v. tsp grated orange rind
1 1 / 4 cup chopped walnuts

Rum Butter Icing:

1 pound powdered sugar
1 / 2 cup butter, at room temperature
3 c. tablespoons dark rum (or 3 tablespoons orange juice)
1 / 8 teaspoon salt

Place pears, raisins, figs, and rum in a plastic bag zipper food storage; seal. Turn to coat all fruit. Let stand at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking 13 x 9 inch pan with aluminum foil to weigh on the sheet on the short end. Butter the foil and sprinkle with flour and set aside.

In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ginger, salt and nutmeg.

In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after every addition. Beat in orange zest. Gradually stir flour mixture into sugar mixture. Add nuts and fruit mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool.

Frosting: Beat sugar, butter, rum or orange juice, and salt in a bowl, mix on low speed of electric mixer until smooth. Increasing the average speed and beat until spreading, about two minutes.

To remove from pan, remove from the grill. Spread icing on top of cooled bars. Cut into 24 bars. Decorate with sugar sprinkles or frosting color sqiggles.

Enjoy!