Cherry Almond Nanaimo Bars

Ingredients

3/4 c butter
1/4 c sugar
3/8 c cocoa
1 ts vanilla
1 egg
1 c coconut
1 3/4 c graham wafer crumbs
1/2 c almonds
1 tb cherry juice
2 c icing sugar
3/8 c maraschino cherries
2 oz semisweet chocolate
1 tb butter

Instructions

BASE: Cook butter, sugar, cocoa, vanilla & egg in saucepan over low heat heat, stirring constantly until custard begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in coconut, crumbs and almonds. Pat firmly into a greased 9 pan inch square pan. Chill for 1 hour. FILLING: Cream butter, cherry juice and extract. Gradually beat in icing sugar to a make a smooth spreading consistency. Stir in cherries. Spread over base and chill until firm. TOP: Heat chocolate and butter, stirring until smoothly melted. Drizzle chocolate over filling. Chill. Cut into bars. YIELD: 30 BARS