Fresh Fruit Fiesta Bars

This fabulous fruit bar recipe is from Esther Brody’s “The 250 Best Brownies Bars & Squares” cookbook. Posted for Zaar World Tour 2005.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 36 bars

Ingredients

• Base

• 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3⁄4 cup butter or 3⁄4 cup margarine, softened
• 1  cup  packed brown sugar

• Topping

• 10  ounces canned mandarin oranges, drained
• 1  banana, sliced
• 1  apple, cubed and peeled
• 1⁄2 cup raisins
• 1⁄4 cup  orange juice
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Base: In a bowl mix together flour, rolled oats and cinnamon.
3. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Blend in flour mixture. Set aside 1 ¼ cups of mixture. Press remainder evenly into 13 by 9 inch, ungreased, cake pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Topping: In a bowl mix together oranges, banana, apples, raisins, orange juice and cinnamon. Spread topping evenly over warm base, leaving a space about a ¼ inch from the edges. Sprinkle reserved base mixture over top, patting down gently. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until golden brown. Place pan on a rack to cool completely, then cut into bars.