Festive Fruit And Nut Slice Bars Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, leaving ends of foil hanging over sides of pan; spray with cooking spray.
• Beat cake mix, COOL WHIP and egg in large bowl with mixer until blended. (Batter will be thick.) Stir in nuts and cranberries.
• Spread onto bottom of prepared pan.
• Bake 25 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool completely.
• Melt chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over dessert. Use foil overhang to remove dessert from pan; slice into bars.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. In large bowl, mix 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, butter, orange peel, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and egg with spoon.
• In medium bowl, mix 1/4 cup flour, the cherries, dates and pecans; stir into brown sugar mixture. Spread in pan.
• Bake about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat all Orange Glaze ingredients over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens slightly. Drizzle cooled bars with glaze. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 3 rows.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C and lightly grease and line the base and sides of a deep 22-23cm round loose-based cake tin with Bake-o-Glide or baking parchment (see overleaf). Beat the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, ground almonds and spices until thoroughly mixed and creamy, preferably with an electric beater or in a food mixer.
• Measure off 100g/4oz of the cake mixture, put in a bowl and set aside. Fold the fruit and rum into the remaining mixture, then gently stir in the marzipan. Spoon this mixture into the prepared cake tin and flatten with a spatula to make a smooth even surface, then make a slight dip in the centre of the cake. This simple trick will give the finished cake a nice flat top. Bake for 11⁄4 hours.
• While the cake is in the oven, make the fruit and nut topping. Mix all the nuts, cherries and syrup into the remaining cake mixture (see tip overleaf). Spoon the mixture on top of the part-cooked cake (once it has had its 11⁄4 hours), evenly distributing the mixture of nuts and cherries across the surface of the cake. Loosely cover the top of the tin with foil.
• Return to the oven for 40 minutes more, then take off the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, so the nuts can turn golden. Keep an eye on them, so they don't get too dark. To test the cake mixture is cooked, insert a fine skewer into the cake - if it comes out clean then it's ready. Cool in the tin then turn out, keeping the lining on, and wrap with foil. (The cake will keep for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen for up to 2 months.)
• To serve, remove the cake from the foil and strip away the lining. Place on a board or serving plate and tie with a decorative ribbon.