Holiday Cherry Cheese Bars
This yummy recipe is by Marceil Skifter, and is featured in
'Homemade Cooking Good 'Nuff for Sharing', a cookbook
published by the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum.
Crust:
1 Cup
Walnut pieces, divided
1 1/4 Cup All-purpose Flour
1/2 Cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup butter flavored Crisco
1/2 Cup Flaked Coconut
Filling:
2 Packages
(8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 Can (21 oz.) Cherry Pie Filling
Heat oven
to 350 degrees. Grease 13"x9"x2" pan with butter flavored
Crisco. Set aside.
Chop 1/2 cup nuts coarsely for topping. Set aside. Chop
remaining 1/2 cup finely.
For crust,
combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter flavored Crisco
until fine crumbs form.
Add 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts and coconut. Mix well.
Remove 1/2 cup and set aside. Press remaining crumbs in
bottom of pan.
Bake at 350 degrees fro 12-15 minutes, until edges are
lightly browned.
For
filling, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, eggs and
vanilla, in small bowl at medium speed of electric mixer,
until smooth.
Spread over hot baked crust and return to oven, and bake for
15 minutes longer. Spread cherry pie filling over cheese
layer.
Combine
reserved coarsely chopped nuts and reserved crumbs, and
sprinkle evenly over cherry filling.
Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes longer.
Cool, then refrigerate for several hours. Cut into bars
about 2" 1 ˝ ". Makes about 36 bars.
