Christmas Cherry Chews

Submitted by Kittencalrecipezazz

"We make these around Christmas time, because the red and green cherries make it so holiday looking....warning, these are addictive, they taste almost like a fruitcake with a crust"

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Yields: 25 portions (approx)

ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup cold butter

• TOPPING

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup coconut
• 1⁄2 cup green and red maraschino cherry, halved
• 1 cup pecan halves

directions

1. Set oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan.
3. In a bowl, mix together the first 5 ingredients.
4. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender until crumbly.
5. Press mixture into the prepared baking pan.
6. Bake for 8-9 minutes (don't overbake); remove and cool.
7. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
8. In a bowl, combine all topping ingredients; mix well.
9. Spread topping over the cooled base.
10. Sprinkle with pecan halves over top.
11. Return to oven; bake for 30 minutes longer.
12. Cool, cut into squares.

Reviews

[Annacia]

These were made for DH and he is thrilled with them (in fact he's made a very sizable dent already). I left out the nuts and then followed the directions using 8 mins for the base and the 30 for the over all bake. It is as promised, chewy soft except for the edges which bubble up and become quite hard. I placed the cherries like cabochon's on what would be each piece but the topping rose up and buried them completely, I wouldn't recommend spending extra for the green cherries because you don't see them in the end anyway. They looked very plain on the dish with no cherries showing so I "snowed" the bars with sugar and that made then look more festive.