I made these up on the fly by tweaking a Toll House cookie recipe. They’re like buttery, cherry almond blondies, only a little more cookie-ish.
Cherry-Almond Bars
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon amaretto
2 large eggs
2 cups tart dried cherries
1 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
Directions:
At least 2 hours before baking: put 1/2 cup amaretto and dried cherries in small sauce pan. Bring to simmer, cover, and take off heat. Let sit for 20 minutes, then put cherries and liquid into covered container and set aside – just on the counter is fine if for a few hours, but if you’re doing this overnight, pop the container in the fridge.
When ready to bake the cookies:
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Beat butter, sugar and 1 teaspoon amaretto in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in remaining ingredients. Stir in the amaretto-soaked cherries (and any remaining liquid) and the toasted almonds.
Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack, then cut into squares. How many depends on how big/small you cut the squares, but if small, can allegedly be up to 4 dozen. I cut them into about half that number – I wanted them bigger.
Posted by jen_m_stewart on 2008-07-17 10:33:18
Tagged: , Cookie , Baking , Cherry , Almond
