Aztec Fruit Bars Food

AZTEC FRUIT BARS

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Prepare an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ancho chile powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the almond, apricots, chocolate, cranberries, dates, figs, brown sugar and popped amaranth. Use your fingers to make sure that everything has been coated with the flour mixture evenly.
• In a separate bowl, using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the honey, vanilla and egg until thick in texture, about 1 minute. Add the egg mixture to the fruit and flour mixture and mix using a spatula until everything is coated with the egg mixture. Spread onto the prepared baking pan, pressing to even out.
• Bake until the batter is golden brown and can pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. Let cool before cutting.
• Lift the bar from the pan by the edges of the aluminum foil. Use a sharp knife to cut into 16 even squares.

TOASTED COCONUT MANGO BARS

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease with vegetable oil.
• In a medium bowl, sift the flour, granulated sugar and salt. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula or spoon. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• For the filling: Blend the mango with 2 tablespoons water in a blender.
• Beat together the granulated sugar and eggs in a bowl until combined. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and mango puree. Stir in the flour.
• Pour the filling over the crust. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until the filling is set, about 25 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate at least 1 hour before cutting the bars.
• For the topping: Dust the bars with powdered sugar, sprinkle with toasted coconut and enjoy!