Fruit Jelly Squares

Yield: 25 squares

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup (about 10 ounces) sugar-coated fruit jellies, cut in half
• 1/2 cup pitted dates, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of a 9 inch square pan.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a large bowl.
3. Add fruit jellies, dates, walnuts and raisins to the flour mixture. Stir just to combine fruit and nuts with flour.
4. In large bowl of electric mixer, blend butter and brown sugar on medium speed until mixture is smooth.
5. Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape bowl with rubber spatula once during this mixing.
6. Add flour mixture; blend until flour is incorporated. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
7. Bake for 1 hour, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Cool cake in pan about 2 hours.
9. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.
10. Cut into 25 pieces. Remove squares from pan.
11. Squares may be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored in airtight container.