A blanket of snowy white sugar covers these sweet, delicious bars.  The mincemeat, molasses, raisins, and brown sugar flavors, enhanced by the orange and vanilla extracts combine to give a wonderful rich taste. Perfect for your fall and winter dessert table.

Mincemeat Bars

Ingredients:

Small amount of vegetable shortening and flour for preparing pan

Dough:

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1 large egg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons light or dark molasses

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

½ teaspoon pure orange extract

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup prepared mincemeat

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Topping:

2 tablespoons confectioners (powdered) sugar

Tip: Use a citrus zester for fresh zest. Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales for accurate measuring.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare one 13x9x2 inch oblong pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening and dust with flour.
   
   Dough:
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice together. Set aside.
   
   
3. In a large bowl, combine egg, butter, brown sugar, and molasses; use an electric mixer or wooden spoon and beat together until mixture is thick and smooth. Add orange zest, orange extract, and vanilla extract; stir to mix. Add mincemeat, raisins, and walnuts; stir to mix. Add flour mixture; stir until mixed.
   
   Bake:
4. Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
   
   Topping:
5. Remove from oven. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the tops of the hot bars with confectioner’s sugar. Leave bars in pan to cool; place baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool. Cut into 2 inch squares.
   
   Tip: My favorite tool to cut bar cookies is a stainless steel dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a pizza cutter or small kitchen knife to cut the cookie into bars.
   
   Makes about 3 dozen bars
   
   TheBakingPan.com
   
   Adapted from: Bluestein, Barry and Kevin Morrissey, The Complete Cookie, Doubleday, New York, 1996
   _________________________________________________
   

          TheBakingPan
        Kitchen and Baking Storeg Store
Click Here - Easy on-line shopping for all your kitchen, baking, and home needs. Bakeware, Cookware, Kitchen Tools, Books, Cookbooks, Electrics, Food, Gifts, Coffee, and more....