#799 - Cherry Cheesecake Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

Crust: 1 cup walnuts, 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup packed Domino's dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco, 1/2 cup Baker's angelflake coconut

Filling: 2 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened), 2/3 cup white sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla, 1 - 21oz. can cherry pie filling

Grease a 9 x 13 cake pan--set aside. Chop 1/2 cup of the walnuts coarsely--set aside. Chop the other 1/2 cup walnuts finely--set aside. In a bowl add flour, brown sugar, Crisco--mix with your hands to form crumbs. Add the finely chopped walnuts and the coconut to the crumbs--mix well. Remove 1/2 cup of this mixture and set aside. Press the rest of the mixture into the bottom of the cake pan. Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. In a mixer add cream cheese, white sugar, eggs, vanilla--beat until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the crust as soon as you bring the crust out of the oven. Place the cake pan in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and pour cherry pie filling over the top (while it's still hot). In a bowl add the reserved crumb mixture and the coarsely chopped walnuts--sprinkle this mixture evenly on top of the cherries. Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. Cut into bars.