Welcome!

Hello readers! I'm Leighanne - a twenty-something scientist (and newlywed!) searching for a way to express my creative side. Welcome to my blog, Potions & Poppy Seeds! Here, you'll find everything from new recipes, to DIYs for the home, to my experiences in wedding planning, and my never-ending attempts at creating fabulous things. Enjoy!

Monday, December 31, 2012

Cherry Almond Bars

Happy New Year's Eve! Have you made your resolutions yet for 2013? I haven't. Hopefully I come up with something before midnight tonight. Maybe it should be something along the lines of trying to eat better (considering the following recipe...), but isn't the whole "I WILL be healthier this year" a little overdone? I think so.
I made these Cherry Almond Bars as part of my Christmas cookie baking extravaganza this year. I had never made them before, and they turned out fabulously! I love all things containing almonds. So maybe that's why I'm partial to this particular dessert. But seriously, if you love chewy dessert squares or bars, these are definitely for you.

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 tsps baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp almond exctract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups regular rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 12 oz. jar of cherry preserves
How to:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line a 13x9 inch pan with foil, extending the foil up over the sides of the dish. Grease the foil and set the pan aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium/high speed for 30 seconds. 
  • Add in brown sugar and baking powder, beating until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. 
  • Beat in egg and almond extract until combined.
  • Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in remaining flour, oats, and sliced almonds.
  • Remove 1/2 cup of the dough and set it aside. Press the remaining dough evenly into the bottom of the greased foil-lined baking pan.
  • Spread the preserves over the top of the pressed dough, and then crumble the reserved dough even over the preserves layer.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Cool in pan on a wire rack. 
  • Using the edges of the foil, lift the cookies out of the pan.
  • Cut into bars.
I hope you all enjoy these bars as much as I did! I gave most of these away (along with the million other cookies I made for Christmas) as gifts. But I'm glad I saved a few for myself.

Anyway, happy new year! Enjoy!

No comments:

Post a Comment