Cookie Carnival: Coconut Cherry Bars
I really enjoy participating in the monthly cookie carnival hosted by Tami of Tami’s Kitchen Table Talk because it is a good way to try recipes that I normally would not try. This recipe for Coconut Cherry Bars from Betty Crocker is a good example!
With coconut and cherries it is definitely not something that appeals to me, but that does not mean these bars were not tasty! I made these a few weeks ago and took to a cook-out where they were very well received.
I changed the recipe a bit. I did not use nuts and doubled the coconut, to add some of substance that I eliminated by not using the nuts. I also did not chop the maraschino cherries, I decided to leave them whole.
I also made a glaze using powdered sugar and juice from the cherries to top off the bars.
Here is my recipe:
- 1 cup Flour
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 3 tablespoons Powdered Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Coconut
- 1/2 cup Maraschino Cherries, drained
- 1/4 cup Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp. Juice from cherries (when draining cherries reserve juice to use)
Mix 1 cup flour, butter and powdered sugar in medium bowl until flour is moistened. Press into greased 8″ or 9″ square pan. Bake 10 minutes in preheated 350 degree oven.
I separate bowl beat egg. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread over the baked layer.
Bake 25-30 minutes in preheated 350 degree oven. While baking, stir together powdered sugar and cherry juice to make a glaze. Drizzle glaze over the bars 15 minutes after removing from oven. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Past Cookie Carnival recipes I have made:
Toasted Coconut and Orange Cookies
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Your bars do look delicious. I wasn’t able to participate in the Cookie Carnival this month, but I definitely agree that through it I usually end up making recipes that I never would have picked out on my own. Kind of fun isn’t it?
Yes it is fun! I enjoy the motivation to try something new! I was really proud of myself in August, because I had these cookies make before the last week of the month! Thank you for leaving a comment!
Hi’ya
I also doubled the coconut because I wanted as much coconut flavor as I could get. Did you drizzle something over the top of yours? It looks like white chocolate…? Yum 
I just realized I left that off of my recipe, I’m going to change it now!! Thanks for the comment which brought that to my attention. I mixed some of the cherry juice I drained with powdered sugar to make a glaze and I drizzled that on top of the bars. As Katrina mentioned in her comment, she drizzled chocolate on hers. I think dark, milk or white chocolate would be great on these!
Your bars look great. What size pan did you use? Mine were a lot thicker. I thought they were a little too thick. I must have used an 8×8. I never would have made these on a whim either, but they were tasty. (Even though I only took a few bites). I drizzled chocolate on top of some to get the Almond Joy effect. Nice photos.
I used a 9″ square pan… that’s probably why mine are thinner. Like you, I think I would prefer thin over thick for these, but the crust does need to be thick enough to support the bar. I love your idea of drizzling chocolate on top!! I think that could only make them better. I am picturing dark chocolate, but I think white chocolate on top would also be appealing to some people. I am headed to your site now to see yours too!