WHITE CHIP LEMON & CHERRY STREUSEL BARS

1 Can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ C Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
1 (12oz) pkg White Chips, divided
2/3 C Butter, softened
1 C packed Light Brown Sugar
1 ½ C All Purpose Flour
1 ½ C Rolled or Quick-Cooking Oats
¾ C Toasted Pecans*
1 ½ C Frozen Cherries, roughly chopped, divided
¼ C Sugar
1 C Toasted, Shredded Coconut
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Salt
1 Egg
½ teaspoon shortening (don’t use butter, margarine or oil)

*To toast pecans: Heat oven to 350◦F. Spread pecans in thin layer in shallow baking pan. Bake, stirring occasionally, 7-8 minutes or until golden brown.

1. Heat oven to 350◦F. Lightly grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon peel, sugar, and 1 cup of the chopped cherries in medium bowl; set aside. Measure out ¼ C and 1/3 C white chips, set aside. Add remaining white chips to lemon mixture.

2. Beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, oats, pecans, baking powder, coconut and salt; add to butter mixture, blending well. Set aside 1 2/3 C oat mixture. Add egg to remaining oats mixture, blending until crumbly; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Gently spoon lemon cherry mixture on top, spreading evenly. Add reserved 1/3 C white chips, and the remaining ½ C chopped cherries to reserved oats mixture. Sprinkle over lemon layer, pressing down lightly.

3. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. Place remaining ¼ C white chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 30 seconds or until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Drizzle over baked bars. Allow drizzle to set; cut into bars.

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I got this recipe out of this book:

I changed the recipe a little bit though, and the recipe above reflects the changes I made. This turned out super yummy and was actually pretty easy to make.

Start off by getting your oats mixture ready, butter and brown sugar - what a combo, right!



I just toasted my shredded coconut on the stove, it only takes a few minutes, so watch it closely to keep it from burning.



Mix the flour, oats, pecans, baking powder, coconut and salt.



Add the oat mixture to the butter and brown sugar.



After dividing mixture according to the above directions, you will mix in an egg to the reaming mix. This will resemble a cookie dough like consistency.



Press this in the bottom of your prepared baking dish.




Now mix your lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk together.



These are the cherries I used. I got them from the frozen food section.



Add the sugar, white chips and the roughly chopped cherries to the lemon mixture.



Pour over the top of the oats mixture in your baking dish.




Add the remaining chopped cherries and white chips to oat mixture.



Sprinkle over the top of the lemon mixture in your dish. Lightly press down.




Drizzle with melted white chips and cut into bars. I found it was easier to score the bars while they were still warm, then refrigerate and let cool before removing the bars from the pan.