Double Cherry Streusel Bars

Total Time: 52 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 32 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup dried tart cherry, snipped
• 2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
• 2 (12 ounce) jars cherry preserves
• 1 teaspoon lemon peel, finely shredded
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate piece
• 1 teaspoon shortening, melted

Recipe

• 1 in a small saucepan bring water to boiling.
• 2 remove from heat.
• 3 add dried cherries and let stand for 10 minutes or until softened.
• 4 drain and set aside.
• 5 for crust, in a large mixing bowl combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
• 6 using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• 7 reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture.
• 8 stir the almonds into the reserved crumb mixture; set aside.
• 9 press remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
• 10 bake in a 350 degree f oven for 12 minutes.
• 11 meanwhile, for filling, stir together the drained cherries, cherry preserves, and lemon peel.
• 12 spread the filling evenly over baked crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
• 13 bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until top is golden brown.
• 14 cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
• 15 in a small saucepan combine the chocolate pieces and shortening; heat over medium-low heat until chocolate is melted.
• 16 drizzle melted chocolate mixture over baked bars.
• 17 cut into bars.