Cherry Almond Bars

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup almonds, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup maraschino cherry, drained and chopped
• 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice or 1/4 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups icing sugar, sifted

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven 350 degrees.
• 2 spray 9x13 inch baking dish with oil.
• 3 in a bowl, using a fork, stir flour with 1/2 cup icing sugar; using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the 1 cup of butter until coarse crumbs form.
• 4 or.
• 5 whirl flour with icing sugar in food processor until mixed. add butter, pulse until coarse crumbs form.
• 6 press mixture over bottom of baking dish.
• 7 bake in centre of oven until light golden around the edges, 25 - 30 minutes. remove from oven, set aside.
• 8 meanwhile, in a bowl, stir flour, baking powder and salt.
• 9 in a separate bowl, put beaten eggs then stir in brown sugar.
• 10 gradually stir in flour mixture, then add almonds and cherries.
• 11 spread over warm base.
• 12 bake in centre of oven until filling is set, 25 - 30 minutes.
• 13 to prepare topping - in a small bowl, using an electric beater, beat cherry juice with 3 tblsp butter and almond extract.
• 14 gradually beat in 2 cups icing sugar until fluffy.
• 15 cover and set aside. cool bars, then spread icing evenly over top.
• 16 refrigerate at least 2 hours before cutting into bars.
• 17 store in an airtight container, refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.
• 18 note: if you use the cherry juice for the frosting it will be a nice pink colour!