July Blogging Challenge: July 8: Recipe: Puzzle Bars

This post is written to be a part of the July Blogging Challenge.  To participate, link up at This Day Has Great Potential.  Here are the topics:

For most of my childhood we lived across the country from my grandparents.  Our vacation every summer was the same; we'd load up into the station wagon and travel across the country to spend two or more weeks with Grandma and Grandpa, during which time we'd spend time with our large group of cousins, run with the neighborhood kids, or in my case, visit the small town library where the librarian learned to look for me each year.  

The shutters used to be red, but otherwise, from the outside, the house hasn't changed much.  I love Google Maps!

One thing that was a regular part of going to Grandma's was eating her cooking.  She always had plenty of cookies, including these bars that were my favorite.  One summer I asked for the recipe.  She gave it to me, but the directions were a little sketchy.  It took my mom and me a while to get the crust right,but I love these and hope you do too.

Puzzle Bars

Crust

2 cups flour 

1 cup butter cold

1/2 cup brown sugar 

Mix the flour and brown sugar in a bowl.  Cut the butter into small slices over the dry ingredients.  Work with fingers until crumbly. Put 1/2 in 13X9 pan. bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven.

This is just before I put it in the pan

Right before it went into the oven

Filling

2 egg whites

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 jar marschino cherries

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add sugar,  almond extract,  coconut and chopped nuts. Drain the cherries and chop them. Place on paper towel to drain.  Dust with a little flour.  Add to egg mix. Spread on cooked crust. Sprinkle w/ remaining crust. Bake 25 minutes.  Cut into bars and enjoy. 

Cherry filling, in the bowl

In the pan

Covered with crumbs

Finished baking!

Not only are they a sweet treat, they remind me of my Grandma.