Chocolate Cherry Bars

Used to make these during the holiday season but had lost the recipe. Found it again in one of those recipe mini-magazines you find at the checkout line in grocery stores. These are very rich and very yummy! How many it makes depends on how big you cut the bars.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Yields: 24-48 bars

Ingredients

• 1  cup butter or 1  cup margarine
• 3⁄4 cup  cocoa
• 2  cups sugar
• 4  large eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, plus
• 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄3 cup  chopped  almonds or 1⁄3 cup pecans
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  almond extract
• 1  cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1  cup  chopped maraschino cherry, drained

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. Grease a 13x9 baking pan.
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat; stir in cocoa until smooth.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Add sugar, 3 eggs, 1-1/2 cups flour, and nuts; mix well.
6. Pour into prepared pan, bake 20 minutes.
7. Whisk together remaining egg, 1/3 cup flour, milk, and almond extract.
8. Pour over baked layer; sprinkle chocolate chips and cherries over top.
9. Return to oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until set and edges golden brown.
10. Cool completely in pan.
11. Refrigerate until cold, about 6 hours or overnight.
12. Cut into bars.
13. Refrigerate leftover bars (if there are any!).