Valentine’s Day should have cherries! After all…. life is just a bowl full of cherries. 😉
These Cherry Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Icing are a delectable treat! They remind me of a lofthouse cookie in texture, but even better because they are super moist! The cherry taste comes from actual maraschino cherries that have been chopped up. Top it all off with cream cheese icing. and wow… it’s a winner!
I had fun decorating these bars. It was SO easy too. I just slapped on the icing and cut them up. I sprinkled them heavily with gold stars and edible pearls. The little hearts are made with Cherry Taffy that has been cut out with a tiny cookie cutter and dipped in red and pink sugar!
Cherry Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Icing
Pretty cherry flavored cookie bars that taste like a thick cherry sugar cookie!
Ingredients
- I jar of marachino cherries minced finely, save 4 Tbsp. of the juice
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp . Pure Almond Extract
- 4 or 5 cups flour, start with 4 cups and move up to 5 cups if needed- dough should feel like a cookie
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- pink or red food coloring is optional
- Icing:
- 8 oz . Cream Cheese softened
- 1 stick of butter softened
- 2-3 cups of confectioners sugar, powdered sugar
- 1 tsp . Vanilla Extract
- food coloring is optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 13 x 9 in pan with parchment paper.
- In an electric mixer cream butter and sugar until it is a light consistency, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Stir in vanilla, cherry juice and almond extract. . In another bowl mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour mixture, until just combined. Mix in cherries by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Spread into the parchment lined baking pan. Bake for 10-22 minutes, a tester should come out clean. Allow to cool completely before icing.
- To make icing: Combine the butter and cream cheese in a mixer on medium. Once it is a smooth consistency add powdered sugar on low 1/2 cup at a time. Once it is incorporated whip it on high for 2 minutes. Add any food coloring at this point and mix well. Spread onto the cookie bars.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size
1 gramsAmount Per Serving Unsaturated Fat 0g
So pretty and tasty!
Stacy @ Share&Remember
Tuesday 21st of January 2014
I had to come back & comment - I was excited to try this recipe & made them right away. I'd have to say, I found it rather disappointing. I just didn't think the cookie bar had much flavor. Unless you use food coloring, they will not look like this. The cherry juice is not enough to have them turn out pink even though the dough looks pink before you bake it. Not enough cherry flavor for me either - you'd think there would be with a jar full of cherries in there? They do get over baked around the edges in a 9x13 pan. The frosting was the best part but overall the recipe wasn't worth all the (and it's a lot with 5 cups of flour and 3 sticks of butter!) ingredients I put into it. I wish I would have loved this recipe but didn't.
Stacy @ Share&Remember
Thursday 16th of January 2014
These look so good! You know how it is when you find a recipe you want to try and actually have everything to do it?? That's me today making these! The dough tastes yummy so I'm sure the bars will! :)
Sheri
Saturday 16th of March 2013
These look like they're going to be perfect for my daughters May wedding! I've made the Non-cherry version of this recipe many times and it's a "you can come if you bring the bar sugar cookies" kinda recipe! Everyone loves it, and I think this is going to be fabulous! I'm going to give it a try tomorrow. Just one question: The Cherry taffy.... is that like a laffy taffy bar, or did you use something different? sometimes those can be kinda hard. Do you microwave it just a little to soften it? Thanks again for the recipe and also the decorating ideas! Can't wait to try it. Fingers crossed mine will turn out as pretty as yours!
Rachel
Saturday 16th of March 2013
I used the wrapped salt-water taffy... around these parts (Oklahoma) you can find them most places. They are the "Old-Fashioned" kind. I think you could use the laffy taffy, but you are right about it being hard. I hope it all works out. Let me know how it goes!
Rachel
Saturday 16th of March 2013
I used the wrapped salt-water taffy... around these parts (Oklahoma) you can find them most places. They are the "Old-Fashioned" kind. I think you could use the laffy taffy, but you are right about it being hard.
15 Fun Valentine Recipes!
Tuesday 5th of March 2013
[...] Cherry Cookie Bars w/ Cream Cheese Icing! [...]
Lori
Friday 22nd of February 2013
No need to apologize Rachel, things happen. However a 8x8? That is crazy, been baking over 40 years and four cups of flour and two sugar in a 8x8? Once I poured the batter in the pan I knew it needed bar size to bake right but didn't trust my judgement, AGAIN! Dang me!! Will do again but will do Pampered Chef bar pan and know the results will be great. No over baked edges or too gooey center, but perfection! Thinking of adding a bit of chopped coconut too! Lori
Rachel
Friday 22nd of February 2013
Sounds good! I have to admit that the middle of my bars were still a bit gooey upon taking them out. That's the part I like though. ;) Let me know how it goes the second time around.