Cherry Almond Bars

Cherry Almond Bars
18 bars

Crisco Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cups Pillsbury BEST All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons Crisco Puritan Canola Oil with Omega-3 DHA
2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup Smucker's Cherry Sugar Free Preserves OR Smucker's Cherry Preserves

TOPPING
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Crisco Puritan Canola Oil with Omega-3 DHA

1.HEAT oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of 8 x 8-inch pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray.

2.STIR together flour, brown sugar and salt until mixed. Add oil, water and almond extract. Combine with fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pat evenly in bottom of prepared pan.

3.BAKE 15 minutes.

4.SPREAD preserves evenly over warm crust. Mix almonds, brown sugar and oil until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over top of preserves.

5.BAKE 20 minutes. Cool completely. Lift out of pan using foil. Cut into 16 bars. Store in refrigerator.

TIPFor Strawberry Almond Bars, use Sugar Free Seedless Strawberry Jam or Low Sugar Strawberry Preserves instead of cherry.

From Crisco