Shelly's Recipe

Cherry Cream Cheese Bars

Category: Bars

Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups plus 2 to 4 tbsps Martha White® All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup Smucker's® Cherry Preserves

(1) HEAT oven to 350°F. Spray 13 x 9-inch pan with no-stick cooking spray. Combine sugar and butter in large bowl; beat until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg; beat well.

(2) ADD 1 1/2 cups flour; add salt; blend well. Reserve 1 cup of mixture. With floured fingers, press remaining mixture in bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes.

(3) ADD remaining 2 to 4 tablespoons flour to reserved butter mixture; stir until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

(4) COMBINE cream cheese and remaining egg in small bowl; beat until smooth.

(5) SPREAD cream cheese mixture evenly over partially baked crust. Carefully spoon and spread cherry preserves over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Return to oven; bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.