Description
Maraschino Cherry Sugar Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are a delightful dessert combining sweet cherries with a rich cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
- Bars:
- ¾ cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped (about half of a 16oz jar)
- ¾ cup soft butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- Frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- dash of salt
- 2 ½ – 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- For bars: Drain cherries well. Chop and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir till combined. Fold in the cherries.
- Press dough into a well greased 9×13″ pan. (Line with foil first if preferred.)
- Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes or till very lightly brown on the edges.
- Cool bars completely, then frost with cream cheese frosting.
- Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter till smooth and creamy.
- Beat in vanilla, almond extract, salt, and enough powdered sugar to make a spreadable frosting.
- Spread frosting on cooled bars.
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients for best results.
- Line the pan with foil for easy removal.
- Cool bars completely before frosting to prevent melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 231 kcal
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg