Fruit & Nuts Bars

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(Recipe from Joy of Baking, By Kate Morris)

Make 16 squares.

What You’ll Need:

1/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 cups dried fruit (use a mix—I used apricots, dates, and cherries)
1 1/2 cups dry roasted nuts (again, mix it up! My choice was pecans and almonds)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

What to Do:
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-by-8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, or coat with nonstick spray.
  2. Coarsely chop fruit and nuts until most pieces are relatively uniform in size. Set aside.
  3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a large bowl until evenly combined. Add sugar, fruit, and nuts, and mix to coat all fruit and nuts with the flour mixture.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat egg with vanilla until frothy and thick, about 2 minutes.
  5. Stir egg into flour mixture until evenly mixed.
  6. Spread mixture into prepared pan, using a spatula to smooth out the top.
  7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.