Maraschino cherry bars

Entry #6: Cherry bars Submitted by Vikki Cabaniss of Miamisburg Third-place winner, Dayton Daily News holiday cookie contest 2012 STAFF PHOTO BY LISA POWELL

Credit: Lisa Powell

Credit: Lisa Powell

Entry #6: Cherry bars Submitted by Vikki Cabaniss of Miamisburg Third-place winner, Dayton Daily News holiday cookie contest 2012 STAFF PHOTO BY LISA POWELL

This is one of the 15 top entries in the 2012 Dayton Daily News Holiday Cookie contest selected to share with our online and Pinterest readers. Happy baking!

Third-place winner: Maraschino cherry bars

Vikki Cabaniss, Miamisburg

Maraschino cherry bars (Makes 12 large cookies)

Ingredients

  • 2¼ cups of white flour
  • ½ cup of white sugar
  • 1 cup of soft butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup of brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon of vanilla
  • 12 ounces of red or green (or both) cherries; Drain, but save juice for icing.
  • ½ cup of chopped walnuts (Optional. The submitted recipe included them.)  
  • 1 cup of powdered sugar

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix flour with sugar and butter until crumbly.
  • Press into a lightly greased nine by 13 inch pan. Bake 20 minutes.
  • Blend eggs, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Stir in cherries and walnuts (if desired). Pour on top of crust. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Cool, then frost frosting: 1 tablespoon of soft butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Add a little bit of cherry juice until desired consistency. Place into a baggie, cut off corner and squeeze onto cookies in a drizzle.

About the Author