Description
These festive treats take all the best parts of a fruitcake and a butter tart, all wrapped up in one easy shortbread-based square. Unlike a traditional fruitcake, you don't need to plan weeks ahead, though you do need to soak the fruits overnight in brandy.
Ingredients
Scale
Boozy Fruit:
- 1 cup mixed dried fruits (e.g. finely chopped apricot, cranberries, cherries, raisins, currants, etc)
- 1/4 cup brandy or rum
Shortbread Base:
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 1/4 cup flour
Fruitcake Topping:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup mixed peel
- 1/2 cup glace cherries, cut in half
- 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
Instructions
Make the Boozy Fruit (Soak Overnight):
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the dried fruits and brandy. Cover and set aside to rest overnight.
Prepare the Base:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8" x 8" pan and line with parchment, leaving a 1" overhang on either side.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter and icing sugar until combined. Stir in the almond extract, then add flour and stir until well combined. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool while you prepare the topping.
Make the Topping:
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, flour and baking powder. Stir in the peel, cherries, pecans, along with the boozy fruit and any liquid that hasn't soaked in.
- Spread the topping mixture onto the base in an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are set and dry. Let cool completely in the pan, then run a knife along the edges to loosen and lift out using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and transfer to an airtight container for storage.
Notes
Storage: Store the squares in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Canadian