Cherry Power Bars

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter or 3/4 cup margarine
• 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups oatmeal (uncooked)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°.
• 2 put butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
• 3 beat with an electric mixer on medium speed 3 to 4 minutes, or until well mixed.
• 4 combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt.
• 5 add flour mixture to sugar mixture and beat on low speed until crumbly.
• 6 spread 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
• 7 press down to make a firm layer.
• 8 put cherry pie filling in an electric blender or food processor and purée until smooth.
• 9 pour cherry purée into a medium saucepan.
• 10 combine granulated sugar and cornstarch and stir into cherry purée.
• 11 cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until mixture is thick and bubbly.
• 12 stir in almond extract.
• 13 pour cherry mixture over oat layer and spread evenly.
• 14 top with remaining oat mixture.
• 15 bake 30- 35 minutes or until golden brown.
• 16 let cool and cut into bars.