Fill up that cookie jar Lynn

Almond Cherry Bars

Lynn Haley, Managing Editor

I started making these seasonal favorites years ago when my now adult sons were preschoolers. The recipe calls for red and green cherries cut up into small bits; the perfect activity to keep wiggly little boys busy for a solid half hour - just enough time for one weary Mom to indulge in a quiet cup of tea.

I’d set each one up with their own container of cherries and a pair of kid friendly scissors and let them have at it. Of course, they’d end up with cherry juice plastered in their hair and I’d have a trail of sticky fingerprints from the kitchen to the bathroom. As little ones, the boys were furious competitors determined to outdo each other in their cutting prowess. As they matured, the need for speed faded and cherry chopping finesse became the obsession.

As the years passed by, our annual cherry cutting competition became a seasonal fixture – a milestone that helped me mark their passage into adulthood. Our cherry chats turned from ninja turtles to music, friends, and politics to world travels and life plans.

More than once, we’d end up cutting enough cherries to quadruple the recipe. In those years, we’d package up squares by the dozen, wrap them in colorful ribbons and drop them off at the homeless shelter. Looking back, those trips to share our goodies are some of warmest memories I have of my boys’ youth.

Enjoy these bars – they’re yummy any time of the year and they freeze beautifully.  (This recipe doubles easily).

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg and almond extract. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the creamed mixture just until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips, cherries, almonds and coconut.  Spread evenly in a 13 x 9” (3.5 L) un-greased cake pan. Bake in a 350◦ F (180◦ C) for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan on a rack before cutting into bars.

One recipe makes about 40 bars.