Recipe - Holiday Cherry Cheese Bars

1 cup Walnut pieces, divided
1 One fourth cup Allpurpose flour
One half cup Firmly packed brown sugar
One half cup Butter flavor crisco
One half cup Flake coconut
16 ounce Cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup Granulated sugar
2 Eggs
2 teaspoon Vanilla
21 ounce Cherry pie filling; can

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 x 9 x 2" baking pan with Butter Flavor
Crisco. Set aside. Chop One half cup nuts, coarsely for topping. Set aside. Chop
remaining One half cup nuts, finely. For Crust: Combine flour and brown sugar.
Cut in Butter Flavor Crisco until fine crumbs form. Add One half cup finely
chopped nuts and coconut. Mix well. Remove One half cup. Set aside. Press
remaining crumbs in bottom of pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes,
until edges are lightly browned. For Filling: Beat cream cheese, granulated
sugar, eggs and vanilla in a small bowl at medium speed of electric mixer
until smooth. Spread over hot baked crust. Return to oven. Bake 15 minutes
longer. Spread cherry pie filling over cheese layer. Combine reserved
coarsely chopped nuts and reserved crumbs. Sprinkle, evenly, over cherries.
Return to oven. Bake 15 minutes longer. Cool. Refrigerate several hours.
Cut into bars, about 2 x 1 1/2".

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini