Door County Cherry Bars - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour, divided
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 cup cherries, frozen (do not thaw)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F and butter an 8 x 8\" square baking pan.
BOTTOM LAYER: Combine 1 cup of flour, the butter, and the confectioners' sugar in a bowl.
Beat until smooth.
Pat mixture into the prepared pan with fingers, and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
TOP LAYER (THIS SHOULD BE MADE WHILE THE BOTTOM LAYER IS IN THE OVEN): In a small bowl, toss frozen cherries with vanilla; set aside.
In a large bowl, slightly beat the eggs.
Gradually add the sugar and beat until they are thick and light.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and stir with a spoon until blended.
Stir in the walnuts and cherry-vanilla mixture.
Immediately spread the cherry mixture over the hot bottom layer and return the pan to the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the bars are a deep golden brown.
Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack before serving.