82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 15, 2003 SeCeSrate RED CHERRY CRUNCH BAR 3 A cup butter 1 cup brown sugar VA cup flour 1 teaspoon salt Vi teaspoon baking soda VA cup rolled oats 21 ounce can cherry pie filling Mix butter and brown sugar. Add flour, salt, baking soda and rolled oats. Mix until crumbly. Press half of mixture in 9x13- inch pan. Spread with cherry pie filling. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. Vera Jane Newswanger Morgantown CHOCOLATE CHERRY BARS 1 3 A cup flour 1 cup sugar V i cup cocoa 1 cup cold butter or margarine 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 cups chocolate chips 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie Ailing 1 cup chopped almonds Combine flour, sugar and cocoa. Cut in butter until crum bly. Add egg and almond extract until blended; set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 13x9x2-inch pan. Carefully top with pie filling. Combine choco late chips, almonds and reserved crumbs; sprinkle over pie filling. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Cool; refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting. Makes 3 dozen. Vera Jane Newswanger Morgantown CHERRY NUT CHIFFON CAKE 2Va cups cake flour VA cups sugar 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Vi cup vegetable oil Vi cup maraschino cherries 1 cup egg whites 5 unbeaten egg yolks Va cup maraschino cherry juice Vi cup cold water 1 teaspoon vanilla Vi teaspoon cream of tartar Vi cup chopped pecans Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add vegetable oil, egg yolks, cherry juice, water and vanilla. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Add cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat until very stiff. Gradually pour egg yolk mixture over egg whites, gently folding with rubber scraper just until blended. Do not stir. Fold in &ledpe topics If you have recipes for topics listed below, please share them with us. We welcome your recipes, but ask that you include ac curate measurements, a complete list of ingredients, and clear instructions with each recipe you submit. Be sure to include your name and address. Recipes should reach our office one week be fore the publishing date listed below. Send your recipes to Lou Ann Good, Lancaster Farming, P.O, Box 609,'Ephrata, PA 17522. February 22 Breakfast, Brunch Ideas March 1 Using Potatoes 8 Nutty Recipes 15 Favorite Suppers r aMonaCQUerry Btfontfi chopped cherries and pecans. Bake 55 minutes at 325° then in crease to 350° for 10-15 minutes or until done. This is a beautiful cake and delicious! Vera Jane Newswanger Morgantown CHERRY CHEESE BARS Crust: VA cup flour Vz cup packed brown sugar Vi cup butter-flavored shorten ing 1 cup chopped walnuts, divid ed 1 cup flaked coconut Filling: 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened % cup sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling In a bowl, combine flour and brown sugar, cut in shortening until fine crumbs form. Stir in Vi cup nuts and coconut. Reserve Vi cup crumbs for topping. Press re maining mixture into the bottom of a greased 13x9x2-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Mean while, for filling, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth. Spread over the hot crust. Bake IS minutes. Spread pie filling on top. Combine remaining nuts and reserved crumbs; sprinkle over cherries. Bake IS minutes more. Cool. Refrigerate until serving. Makes 20 servings. Vera Jane Newswanger Morgantown CHERRY TORTE VA cups flour Va teaspoon salt Va cup butter-flavored shorten ing 1-2 tablespoons cold water 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened V 2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling Va teaspoon almond extract 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed Va cup chopped pecans In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt; cut in shorten ing until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add enough water to shape dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to fit a 12-inch pizza pan. Flute edges, prick bottom and sides with a fork. Bake at 425° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned; remove from the oven. Reduce heat to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth; pour into crust. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely. Combine pie filling and almond extract; spoon over the cream cheese layer. Spread whipped topping over filling. Chill until ready to serve. Sprinkle with pecans. Makes 10-12 servings. Vera Jane Newswanger Morgantown CHERRY DANISH 2 tablespoons cherry geletain 3 cups water Vi cup sugar 'A cup regular Cleaijel dis solved in Vi cup water l A cup cherry-flavored gelatin 1 quart drained sweet cherries Mix water, sugar, and 2 table spoons gelatin to boiling. Add Cleaijel. Let thicken. Remove from heat. Add V* cup gelatin. Let cool. Add cherries. Twila Martin Waynesboro CHERRY CHEESECAKE SQUARES 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 cup granulated sugar, divid ed l A cup butter melted 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 large eggs 1 20-ounce can cherry pie fill ing Almond slivers for garnish; op tional Preheat oven 325°F. In a medium bowl mix crumbs, V* cup sugar and butter. Press into a 13x9-inch baking pan. Put in oven and bake for 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese with remaining V* cup sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Blend in eggs. Pour mixture over prepared and baked crust. Re turn to oven and bake 35 minutes or until set in the middle. Re move. Cool. Refrigerate over night or not less than 3 hours. Top with cherry pie filling. Cut into 18-inch squares and garnish if desired. Betty Light Lebanon CHERRY CREAM CHEESE DESSERT I'A cup flour Vi cup brown sugar Vi cup butter Vi cup coconut Vs teaspoon salt Vi cup chopped walnuts Filling: 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened 2 A cup sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla Topping: 1 can or more of cherry pie fill ing Mix together flour, sugar, but ter, and salt. Add walnuts and coconut. Remove Vi cup and re serve. Press into 9x13-inch greas ed pan. Bake 12-15 minutes in 350 degree oven until light brown. Beat together filling in gredients and pour over hot crust. Bake 15 minutes more. Spread cherry pie filling over cream cheese. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over cherries. Bake 15 minutes longer. Chill several hours before serving. Becky Zimmerman Juniata Co. Dairy Princess In honor of National Cherry Month, make this at tractive Cherry Crisp Coffee Cake. (cfoaturecfS&ecipe Cherries won the hearts of Americans many years ago. Euro pean settlers had barely set foot in the New World before they began planting cherry trees. Early French colonists from Nor mandy brought cherry pits that they planted along the St. Law rence River and beside the Great Lakes. However, it wasn’t until die late 1800’s that cherry growing and harvesting began in earnest, eventually becoming a com mercial enterprise. Peter Dougherty, Presbyterian missionary, is credited with getting the U.S. cherry industry started. In 1852, he planted a group of cherry trees on the Old Mission Peninsula, near Tra verse City, Michigan. Dougherty’s cherry trees flourished, and soon other residents of the area planted cherry trees. The area all along Lake Michigan, from Benton Harbor to north of Tra verse City, proved to be ideal for growing cherries. Lake Michi gan tempered the arctic winds in winter and cooled the orchards in summer. Today in Michigan, there are almost 4 million cherry trees, which annually produce 150 to 200 pounds of tart cherries. Michigan leads the nation in the production of tart cherries, har vesting about three-fourths of the U.S. crop. Large commercial crops of tart cherries are also grown in Utah, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Cherries are much more than great tasting and colorful. Cher ries contain powerful antioxidants that may help fight cancer and heart disease, according to research at Michigan State Uni versity. Eating about 20 cherries per day could reduce inflammatory pain and headache pain. February has been designated as National Cherry Month. Enjoy this featured recipe and many more sent in by our read ers. CHERRY CRISP COFFEE CAKE 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup 100% bran cereal 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Vi cup margarine, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs Vi cup milk 1 (21-ounce) can cherry filling and topping Almond bran topping, recipe follows Confectioner’s sugar glaze, optional Mint sprig, for garnish In medium bowl, combine flour, bran, baking powder and cin namon; set aside. In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, margarine and sugar until creamy. Blend in eggs and milk. Stir in flour mixture until smooth (batter will be thick). Spread batter in greased 9-inch springform pan; spoon cherry filling over batter. Sprinkle with almond bran topping. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center tests done (filling will stick to toothpick). Cool in pan on wire rack for 25 minutes. Remove outside ring of pan; cool com pletely on wire rack. Drizzle with confectioner’s sugar glaze; garnish with mint sprig if desired. Cut into wedges to serve. Makes 12 servings. Almond Bran Topping: Mix Vi cup coarsely chopped al monds, Vi cup 100% bran cereal, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 ta blespoons softened margarine until crumbly.