Spiced Mulled Wine Fruit Bars
Joy Wilson, cookbook author and founder of the popular blog Joy the Baker, says these easy holiday cookie bars have her vote for “Updated Fruitcake You Actually Want To Eat.” A press-in shortbread crust holds dried fruit that’s been steeped and plumped up in red wine and spices. Some of the crust dough is reserved to become the crumble topping, making these bars simple to prepare and impressive to share.
Looking for more holiday baking inspiration? Check out our New Holiday Cookie Classics, a collection of recipes from our favorite bakers and bloggers.
Ingredients
For the crust and crumble:
- 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) (8 oz./250 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (3 oz./90 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups (10 oz./315 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/3 cup (1 3/4 oz./50 g) cornmeal
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
For the mulled wine filling:
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise pieces
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 1/4 cups (10 fl. oz./310 ml) fruity red wine, such as a California Syrah
- 1 Tbs. honey
- 2 orange or satsuma slices (including the rind)
- 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) dried cherries
- 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) dried cranberries
- 8 dried pitted prunes, chopped
- 2/3 cup (6 3/4 oz./210 g) cherry jam
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper hangs over 2 edges of the pan by about 2 inches (5 cm). (This will make the bars easier to remove after baking.) Lightly spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
To make the crust and crumble, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter, both sugars and the vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, cornmeal, salt and cinnamon and beat on low speed just until combined.
Set aside a heaping 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) of the dough for the crumble. Scatter the remaining dough into clumps in the prepared pan. Flour your fingers and press the dough across the bottom and up the sides of the pan about 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Bake until the crust is golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool while you prepare the filling.
To make the mulled wine filling, tie the cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth. Place in a small saucepan and add the wine, honey and orange slices. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the dried cherries, cranberries and prunes, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid both soaks into the fruit and evaporates, about 8 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and discard the cheesecloth bundle and orange slices. Scrape the fruit mixture into a bowl and stir in the cherry jam and vanilla. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Spoon the filling into the cooled crust and crumble the reserved dough on top. Bake until bubbling slightly and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing. (Placing the bars in the refrigerator or freezer will speed up the cooling process.)
Run a small knife around the edges of the pan. Using the overhanging parchment, lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into small rectangles or squares. The bars can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Makes 9 to 12 bars.
Recipe courtesy of Joy Wilson, founder of Joy the Baker