Romance Bars

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Servings: 32
Yield: 32 servings

Description

Chewy bar cookies with coconut, walnuts and maraschino cherries. This recipe was passed on to me by my mother-in-law. They are a Christmas tradition in our family, but I think they're perfect for Valentine's Day.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon boiling water
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup flour and 1 tablespoon white sugar. Stir in melted butter. Spread thinly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
2 Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar , 2 tablespoons flour, and baking powder. Mix in the eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well blended. Stir in the walnuts, coconut and maraschino cherries. Pour the mixture over the prepared crust.
3 Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is light brown. Cool completely before frosting. To make the frosting, mix together 3 tablespoons butter and confectioners' sugar. Beat in water, milk, almond extract and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread over cooled bars. Let stand until firm, then slice into squares.