Cherry Cream Cheese Bars
Delicious cream cheese treat that can be served as breakfast, dessert or snack. Very popular as an after-dinner dessert when served with coffee. Best if chilled prior to serving.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup walnuts (divided in half)
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
Filling
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 can cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350 degrees
- Grease bottom of 13 X 9 X 2 pan
- Chop 1/2 cup walnuts coarsely for topping
- Chop remaining 1/2 cup finely
- For crust: Combine flour & brown sugar
- Cut in butter until fine crumbs form
- Add 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts & coconut
- Mix well
- Remove 1/2 cup of crust mixture & set aside
- Press remaining crumbs into pan
- Bake 350 degree for 15 minutes
- For Filling: beat cream cheese, sugar, egg & vanilla until smooth
- Spread over hot baked crust
- Return to oven & bake for 10 minutes
- Spread cherry pie filling over cheese layer
- Combine reserved coarsely chopped nuts & reserved crumbs
- Sprinkle evenly over cherries
- Return to oven & bake 15 minutes longer
- Cool & cut into bars
