Cherry Almond Nanaimo Bars

Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 medium egg (beaten)
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup almonds (chopped)
• 1/4 cup margarine (softened)
• 1 tablespoon cherry juice (from maraschino cherries)
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1/3 cup maraschino cherry (chopped)
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate (2 squares)
• 1 tablespoon margarine

Recipe

• 1 base:.
• 2 melt margarine, sugar, cocoa, vanilla and egg in saucepan over low heat stirring constantly until it begins to thicken.
• 3 remove from heat and stir in coconut, graham cracker crumbs, and chopped almonds.
• 4 press into greased 9x9-inch pan.
• 5 chill 1 hour.
• 6 filling:.
• 7 cream butter, cherry juice, and vanilla.
• 8 gradually beat in, with hand mixer or by hand, icing sugar to make a smooth spreading consistency.
• 9 stir in chopped cherries.
• 10 spread evenly over chilled base.
• 11 chill until firm.
• 12 topping:.
• 13 heat chocolate and butter over medium heat until smoothly melted. drizzle over filling.
• 14 chill.
• 15 cut into 30 bars with sharp knife pressing down gently to break the drizzle first then drag to slice.