Orange Slice Bars

If you're like me, you have an unnatural addiction to those lumps of artificial flavors known in the candy world as "orange slices." (Cherry sours too, but that's for another day.) A couple of years ago, I was excited to run across this old-fashioned recipe for Orange Slice Bars, a blondie kind of dessert bar studded with bits of candy orange slices and nuts. They've become a holiday tradition around our house, and make a great retro surprise if you're ever asked to bring cookies or dessert to a Christmas gathering.
(Look...no one said the beautiful life had to ALWAYS be gourmet!)

Here's the recipe:

Orange Slice Bars

2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 pound candy orange slices
1 or 2 cups chopped nuts
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

Beat brown sugar, eggs and orange juice until light and fluffy. Cut up orange slices (I use kitchen shears sprayed with a little cooking spray. It's a sticky mess otherwise.) and combine with nuts. Dust candy and nuts with 1/4 cup flour.

Sift remainder of flour together with baking powder and cinnamon and add to egg mixture.

Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Add orange slices and nuts.

Spread into 9 by 13 baking pan that has been oiled and lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 250 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. (To keep cookies moist, put baking pan filled with water into oven on rack under baking cookies.)

When partially cooled, cut into bars and roll in powdered sugar.