My wife’s Grandpa George used to make these Frosty Fruit Bars for the Holidays. I was fortunate enough to get a hold of the handwritten recipe so I could share it with all of you. This is the same George that gave me his Beer Batter Onion Ring recipe.
Candied fruit is what you typically find in a Christmas Fruit Cake. Depending on where you live you might have a hard time finding some. I had to hit a few grocery stores to find enough to make this recipe.
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When I first got my hands on the handwritten recipe card, I asked if these were cookies or bars or what. You can make them however you want actually. You make them in the shape of a bar or a biscotti or whatever floats your boat.
Tips
- Don’t you hate it when raisins get stuck together in a big clump? To unstick the raisins, wet your hands with a little water then work the raisins apart.
For more delicious cookie recipes, make sure you check out my Cookie Jar. My Christmas Wreath Cookies is another festive cookie recipe for the Holidays.
The nutritional information provided on the recipe card may vary depending on how big you cut them. It also includes mixed nuts. If you decide not to use nuts, the nutritional information will vary.
My wife prefers to make cookies with the batter instead of bars. She also prefers to make them without the frosting. I can’t argue with you, this recipe does indeed make good cookies!
If you have some leftover candied cherries, you need to try these delicious Weight Watchers Cherry Fudge Brownies. And for another delicious easy-to-make dessert that your family will love, give my Old School Peach Cobbler a try. You won’t be disappointed!
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Frosty Fruit Bars recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Unsalted Butter, White Sugar, Egg, Orange Zest, Orange Juice, All Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Nutmeg, Raisins, Candied Fruit, Mixed Nuts, Milk, Vanilla Extract and Powdered Sugar.
How to Make Frosty Fruit Bars
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add Egg and orange zest and mix well. Stir in orange juice.
- Sift the All Purpose Flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
- Fold in raisins, candied fruit and nuts.
- Divide dough in half. Roll out each half on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle approximately 7 x 12. Cut the dough into 2 x 7 inch strips for a total of 12 strips.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly brown.
- In a small bowl, combine all frosting ingredients and mix until you reach the desired consistency.
- While warm spread icing and decorate with candied fruit (if desired). Cut baked strips into desired lengths.
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Frosty Fruit Bars
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Ingredients
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 cup White Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tbsp Orange Zest
- ¼ cup Orange Juice
- 2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 cup Raisins
- 1 cup Candied Fruit, mixed
- ½ Mixed Nuts, optional
Frosting
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, Melted
- 2 Tbsp Milk
- ½ Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add Egg and orange zest and mix well. Stir in orange juice.
- Sift the All Purpose Flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
- Fold in raisins, candied fruit and nuts.
- Divide dough in half. Roll out each half on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle approximately 7 x 12. Cut the dough into 2 x 7 inch strips for a total of 12 strips.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Bake on lightly greased baking sheet 10 to 12 minutes until lightly brown.
Make the Frosting
- In a small bowl, combine all frosting ingredients and mix until you reach the desired consistency.
- While warm spread icing and decorate with candied fruit (if desired). Cut baked strips into desired lengths.
Notes
I just made these again. Today instead of raisins, I added cranberries. These are a nice, warm treat for the season. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
One of our family’s favorites! I believe this was a Betty Crocker recipe, I have the booklet somewhere. Simple but incredibly good.
The flavor of these were fantastic, but I made them as cookies and they were entirely too soft in the middle after being lightly browned in the oven for 10 minutes. Maybe a lower temp for longer? Or more than just “lightly” browned?
My mom, and now I, have been making these cookies since the early 1950s. I’m 75 and I still LOVE them. I do the glaze with powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice. SO GOOD!!!
My wife’s family has been making these for over 50 yrs as well. Enjoy!
I was trying to find my my grandmother’s recipe match and used yours to send out as Christmas presents. Everyone that received them reached out and loved them! My family also raved and asked to make sure to make the again. Thank you! Grandma would be proud!
Glad everyone enjoyed them!