Thursday, February 09, 2006

Chocolate Cherry Bars

These are super yummy for Valentine's...or any holiday...or anytime because they are so yummy to eat.

Chocolate Cherry Bars

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa or Hershey's Dutch Processed Cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup Hershey's Mini Kisses Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate Baking Pieces
(*I used 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup chopped maraschino cherries, drained

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat; stir in cocoa until smooth. Remove from heat. Add sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups flour, and almonds; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 1 egg, remaining 1/3 cup flour, sweetened condensed milk and almond extract. Pour over baked layer; sprinkle mini kisses and cherries over top. Return to oven.
4. Bake additional 20 to 25 minutes or until set and edges are golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate until cold, 6 hours or overnight. Cut into bars. Cover; refrigerate leftover bars.
Makes about 48 bars.

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