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Chocolate Cherry Bars

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
¼ cup baking cocoa
1 cup cold butter or margarine
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped almonds

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and cocoa. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add egg and almond extract until blended; set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9- in. x 2-in. baking pan. Carefully top with pie filling. Combine chocolate chips, almonds and reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool; refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting.

Yield: 3 dozen.