Cherry Coconut Bars

Name: Cherry Coconut Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 3 dozen.
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar; 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed; FILLING:; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup chopped walnuts; 1/2 cup quartered maraschino cherries; 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

7 reviews

Test Kitchen Approved

Total Time

Prep: 15 min. Bake: 30 min. + cooling

Makes

3 dozen

I came across these easy maraschino cherry bars while stationed at a Michigan Air Force base in 1964 and have been making the recipe ever since. My children don't think an event is special unless they are part of it. —Marguerite Emery, Orland, California

Cherry Coconut Bars Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
FILLING:
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup quartered maraschino cherries
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

In a small bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a lightly greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.
For filling, in a small bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the egg mixture and mix well. Stir in walnuts, cherries and coconut. Spread over crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Test Kitchen Tips

Crack eggs one at a time into a separate small cup or bowl before adding them to the rest of your ingredients. That saves you from accidentally adding bad eggs to a batter, spoiling all your ingredients. It also makes it easier to fish out a shell if any does fall in.

Cutting butter into dry ingredients results in tiny bits of flour-coated butter throughout the dough, creating a cookie crust that is both tender and crumbly at the same time. If you don’t have a pastry blender, use 2 knives to cut in the cold butter.

Can't resist a taste before the party begins? Cut the bars and arrange them on a plate. Your guests will never guess there's a piece missing.

Hungry for more? Try our best-ever cherry desserts.

Nutrition Facts

1 bar: 94 calories, 5g fat (2g saturated fat), 19mg cholesterol, 56mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.

Cherry Coconut Bars

Ingredients

Directions

Nutrition Facts

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