Festive Jewel Nut Bars - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar, divided
3/4 cup cold butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups salted mixed nuts
1 1/2 cups green and red candied cherries, halved
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 (8 ounce) package Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/3 cup sugar, white granulated
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

1. In a bowl, combine flour and 1/3 cup brown sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
3. While bottom layer is baking - make cream cheese layer by mixing the following in a small bowl:
4. 1 regular package of philadelphia cream cheese (not the small size).
5. 1/3 cup of white granulated sugar.
6. 1 egg.
7. 1 teaspoon vanilla.
8. Mix cream cheese layer with electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Spread on crumb layer and then continue with recipe below.
9. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat egg. Add salt and remaining brown sugar.
10. Stir in the nuts, cherries and chocolate chips.
11. Spoon evenly over crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven. Be careful not to over cook these.
12. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Yield 2 dozen.
The original recipe does not call for a layer of cream cheese. I modified the recipe to suit my taste after I made it the first time without the cream cheese layer. I felt it was too dry and needed additional texture that the cream cheese layer adds nicely.