Lemon Cherry Almond Bars

If you follow on FB, you know that I came down with Strep over the weekend. Again! I just had Strep right before Christmas. How can I get it again? Really?? At least the Amoxicillin knocks it down pretty quickly. I was really glad that there was no school on Monday, which meant that I didn’t have to wake up to get the little one off to school. Thank goodness for small favors.

Recently, I received an awesome flavor favor from Roland Foods! They were kind enough to send me some of their Colored Cherries!  I admit… I was a bit overwhelmed with the selection. So many great things came to mind, but I wasn’t sure what to make with these wonderful cherries.

I went through my cookbooks looking for inspiration and found it in an old (copyright 1989!) Betty Crocker Cookie Book.

I decided to go with the Lemon Cherries. I need some bright and cheery color during these long winter nights. These delicious bars come together quickly and easily.

And the taste?? Delicious! I loved them! My In-Laws loved them! And my girlfriend loved them. And then they were gone… and I was sad again.

It’s a good thing I can order more through their Facebook page HERE. Just search for “CHERRIES”.

Make these with the traditional maraschino Cherries for a fun RED Valentine treat. Or get the Lime Green Cherries for St. Patrick’s Day. What about a fun mix of all the colors for an Easter treat? The little ones would love all the colors mixed together!

I was a bit worried that the Lemon Cherries would be “weird”… (a lemon-flavored cherry?) but they tasted like cherries with just the slightest hint of lemon. If I had used the juice from the jar for the glaze, I’m sure there would have been a more lemon kick. I did add some lemon extract to the filling to put a bit more lemon flavor into the bars. If you aren’t using the Lemon Cherries, you can omit them in the recipe.

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Yield: 26

Lemon Cherry Almond Bars

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1 C All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 C Butter
• 1/4 C Powered Sugar

For the Filling

• 1 (10 oz) jar of Yellow Lemon Cherries
• 2 Eggs
• 1 C Sliced Almonds
• 1/2 C Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Lemon Extract (optional)
• 1/4 C All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

For the Glaze

• 1/2 C Powered Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Almond Extract
• 2 – 3 tsp Cherry Juice (I used Red Cherry Juice)
• 12 Red Cherries, cut in half

Instructions

For the Bars

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
2. Drain Cherries, saving juice for the glaze. Chop cherries and place them on a paper towel.
3. Combine ingredients for the crust and mix until smooth. Press into a parchment-lined 9 x 9 pan and bake for 10 minutes.
4. Beat eggs with a fork in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir until coated. Pour over cooked crust and return to oven to cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Cool Completely.

For the Glaze

1. Mix ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. I used red cherry juice to make my glaze.
2. Drizzle over bars and cut square. Add 1/2 a red cherry to the center of each square.

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