Your guests will be delighted with my bars. They are packed with nuts and dried fruit. I think that when you take a bite of this treat it’s like a mini-vacation to a Polynesian paradise.
Ingredients
- 1 package lemon cake mix (regular size)
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4-1/2 teaspoons thawed pineapple-orange juice concentrate
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 jars (3 ounces each) macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
- 2/3 cup coarsely chopped shelled pistachios
- 2/3 cup chopped dried pineapple
- 2/3 cup chopped dried mangoes
- 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- GLAZE:
- 1-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons thawed pineapple-orange juice concentrate
- 4 to 5 teaspoons water
Directions
- In large bowl, combine the cake mix, brown sugar and spice powder. Add the butter, eggs, juice concentrate, orange and lemon zests and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the nuts, dried fruits and coconut.
- Spread into a greased 13×9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Combine the confectioners’ sugar, juice concentrate and enough water to reach desired consistency; drizzle over top. Cut into bars.
Nutrition Facts
1 bar: 290 calories, 15g fat (6g saturated fat), 33mg cholesterol, 244mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate (28g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.