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joannarbor

RECIPE: Need recipes for Fruit Bars & Fruit Crisps

joannarbor
16 years ago

This is my crust for Pineapple/Rhubarb Bars (reminiscent of commercial Fig Bars or Date Bars made from a boxed mix)to be baked in a greased & floured jelly roll pan. I mix the same crust for Apple Crisp, & bake that in a 9" x 13" x 2" baking pan. If anyone wants my recipes for these fillings, let me know; I want recipes for other flavors of Bars & Crisps, preferably on the from-scratch side. No doubt Peach (or other fruit) Crisp would be made like the Apple Crisp, but I'd like flavoring suggestions. I'd also like recipes for other-than-pineapple/rhubarb Fruit Bars.

CRUST FOR FRUIT BARS / CRISPS:

1. Cream together 3/4 C butter & 1 C brown sugar.

2. Add 1 3/4 C flour, 1/2 t soda & 1 t salt.

3. Stir in 1 1/2 C oat flakes -- regular, not thick-cut.

4. For a Fruit Crisp, pat half of this crumbly mixture into a lightly greased 9" x 13" x 2" baking pan; for a Fruit Bar, press half of it into a greased & floured jelly roll pan -- the flour makes these easier to remove later.

5. Using the backs of your fingers, firmly press down this bottom crust.

6. Spread (or otherwise equally distribute) the desired filling evenly over the bottom crust; if making Bars, spread the filling only to within 1/2" of the sides.

7. Sprinkle remaining crust mixture evenly over filling, and pat it down firmly but gently.

8. On the center rack of oven, bake Fruit Crisp @ 325 F for 45 minutes, or bake Fruit Bars @ 350 F for 30 minutes.

Comments (6)

  • ginger_st_thomas
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'd love to see your filling recipes. The Apple Crisp I make is a little different:

    APPLE CRISP (serves 6-8)
    1 cup graham cracker crumbs
    1 TBL flour
    1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
    1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
    1/4 cup granulated sugar
    1 TBL grated orange zest
    1/2 tsp cinnamon (I use more)
    1/2 tsp nutmeg
    Pinch of salt
    1/2 cup butter, melted
    4 large tart apples

    In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, flour, nuts, brown sugar & granulated sugar. Stir in the orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt, then blend in the butter.
    Lightly butter a 13x9" baking dish. peel, core & thinly slice the apples. Place the slices on the bottom of the dish & scatter the crumb mixture over the top. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 45 minutes.~~The Maine Collection

    PEAR CRISP (serves 6)
    6 ripe Bosc or Anjou pears, peeled, cored, sliced
    1 TBL lemon juice
    1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1/4 tsp nutmeg
    3/4 cup flour
    1/2 cup butter, softened
    1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
    1/2 cup brown sugar

    Place pears in a greased 2 qt baking dish. Toss pears w/lemon juice, cinnamon & nutmeg. In a bowl, combine flour & butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Add oats & brown sugar. Stir well; sprinkle over pears. Bake in a preheated 375° oven 20-25 minutes or until browned & pears are tender. Serve w/ice cream or whipped cream.~~Food for Thought

    RASPBERRY ALMOND SQUARES
    2/3 cup blanched whole almonds
    1 cup butter, softened
    1 cup granulated sugar
    1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
    1 egg, separated
    1 tsp vanilla
    2 cups flour
    3/4 tsp cinnamon
    1/4 tsp salt
    3/4 cup raspberry preserves

    Using a processor with a steel blade, process the almonds until finely chopped but not powdered. Or finely chop in ablender or by hand. Set aside.
    In a large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar & brown sugar. Beat in the egg yolk & vanilla.
    In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon & salt. Stir into the creamed mixture, blending well.
    Press the dough into a lightly buttered 14x11" jellyroll pan. Spread the preserves evenly over the top. Beat the egg white until frothy & brush over the preserves. Sprinkle w/the almonds & gently pres into the preserves. Place in the center of a preheated 350° oven & bake 30-35 minutes or until the edges are browned & the center is almost browned. Remove from the oven & immediately loosen the sides with a spatula. Let cool in the pan 40 minutes, then cut into squares.~~Our Town Cookbook

    APRICOT BARS
    1 2/3 cups quick oats
    1 2/3 cup flour1 scant tsp baking soda
    1/4 tsp salt
    1 cup packed light brown sugar
    1 stick butter, melted
    10 oz jar apricot preserves

    Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 15x10x1" jellyroll pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, salt & brown sugar. Add the butter & mix until crumbly. Pack 1/2 the mixture firmly into the prepared pan. Spread the preserves evenly over the mixture. Sprinkle remaining mixture evenly over the preserves & pat down gently. Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned.~~Gator Country Cooks

  • joannarbor
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, ginger st thomas, for really helpful suggestions. Here are my "filling" recipes, both using my crust recipe which is a bit less rich than most of yours -- though by putting no bottom crust on your "Crisps", you may end up w/ fewer total calories.

    For Apple Crisp: Firmly press half my crust recipe into bottom of a 9" x 13" x 2" lightly greased baking pan. Then core & slice (but don't peel) 5 or 6 tart apples, distribute the slices evenly over bottom crust, then sprinkle the apple slices w/ a mixture of 1/2 cup Splenda or sugar, 1 t cinnamon, & 1 t grated lemon zest, using more lemon zest if apples are not very tart. Then evenly distribute remaining top half of crust mixture over the apples, and pat that down. Bake on center shelf of 350 oven for ~ 45 minutes. Cool in the pan; serve warm or at room temperature, (optionally) w/ whipped topping.

    The Pineapple/Rhubarab Bars are made this way: Firmly press half of the crust mixture into the bottom of a greased & floured jelly roll pan (about 10 1/2" x 15"?). (They will release more easily when baked if you flour the greased pan.) Finely chop 3 cups of fresh rhubarb; dump 1 small can crushed pineapple & its juice into a saucepan, bring it to a boil, turn off the heat & add the chopped rhubarb; stir to combine well. Evenly spread this mixture, while still hot, to w/in 1/2" of edges of bottom crust. Distribute remaining half of crust mixture over filling, then pat it down. Bake @ 350 for ~ 1/2 hour. It's well to loosen edges immediately on taking from oven, & to cut into squares (in the pan) while still warm. If cut into fairly small squares, these can be eaten out of hand.

    Enjoy!

  • jane__ny
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What are oat flakes? Oatmeal? Could you use granola?

    Recipes sound good. Have lots of blueberries and wonder if they would work.

    Thanks,
    Jane

  • roselin32
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    One of our all time favorites:
    Apple or Peach Crisp
    Butter an 8x8x2" baking dish.
    Add 4c peeled, sliced apples or peaches
    1/2c water
    Mix with a pastry cutter til butter is the size of peas
    3/4c flour
    1/2c white sugar
    1/2c brown sugar
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1/2c butter
    dash of salt
    Spread over fruit.
    Bake at 350° until fruit is tender and crust is brown....
    about 30-45 minutes.
    Serve with cream, ice cream, or whipped cream
    Serves 4-6
    RL`

  • Virginia7074
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh, Roselin - I was just on the CF waxing nostalgic about my mom's apple crisp and that sounds like it. I think she did add water to it, too. I willtry it this weekend. Thanks!

  • roselin32
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Virginia,
    Hope it at least comes close. That is a recipe I made one time when we had some friends over for dinner in CA. Said she had been looking for that recipe for years and was thrilled to have it. Several years later, we heard from them at Christmas and she said they always talk about where she got the recipe from when she made it.
    RL`