Hi Everyone!  Happy July! Specifically, Happy 4th of July!  I hope that you all can enjoy some summer fun and perhaps some fireworks but most importantly, some great food!  I know, I know, I always equate holidays with eating. It’s a problem that I have learned to live with. I think that I mentioned to you all before that my family has a picnic at a local park and we watch the fireworks together.  It used to be a pretty big gathering and we would all bring party food such as fried chicken, hot wings, tacos, sliders, popcorn and tons of cookies and desserts. These days the group is much smaller. The nieces and nephews have families of their own and many don’t make it because of other commitments. One of my sisters has moved away and one doesn’t usually make it.  But, those of us that still attend try to make the best of it. Currently, we are only bringing snack foods and desserts because it is tough to make the great nieces and nephews wait so long to eat dinner. But, I’m ok with that. I can eat a little sumpin’ sumpin’ and then really chow down on sweets. That is a sacrifice that I am willing to make to celebrate the sacrifices that our ancestors made for our independence. 

So, for the last several years, I have been taking little mini fruit pies in mason jars.  They are a big hit so I will take them again this year. I am also taking some cookies, like always.  The cookies that I share vary from year to year. It depends on what my favorite is at the time. Now, a couple of weeks ago I made a new cookie and both of my boys looked at them and said that I should make them for the 4th of July.  And so, I decided that I would indeed do just that.

This is one of those oopsie recipes for me.  You know how it is, I start off with a recipe and discover that I don’t have the right ingredients or can’t find the stuff called for at the grocery store.  But I am no quitter when it comes to baking. I find substitutes or make a few little changes and, BAM, I’ve got a brand-new recipe. This one called for a raspberry muffin mix, but I couldn’t find that in my store.  At first, I thought about ditching the recipe but couldn’t let it go. I looked around for a substitute and found one. I think that the finished product is better than just the plain old raspberry.

You may not have noticed from my past posts, but I have a sweet tooth.  Actually, I think that every one of my teeth is a sweet tooth. I have read a lot lately about sugar detox and giving up sugar for extended periods of time.  I’m just gonna say right up front…ummmmm no. I applaud the discipline of those who are able to do it but I’m not even going to try. One of the greatest joys in my life is producing some delicious and sweet concoction.   In the past several years I have developed a special satisfaction when I can make something that someone special in my life really enjoys. Consequently, I always think of that person when I make that recipe again. It becomes their recipe, in my mind.  This is one of those recipes. In my mind, it belongs to my sister, Brenda.

First off, I must tell you that I did not develop this recipe.  It was on the side of a cake mix box many, many years ago. In fact, I still use the little piece of cardboard when I make these bars.  I have never bothered to write up a recipe card. I kind of enjoy pulling that tiny piece of box out and thinking about how old this recipe really is.  It is from a Betty Crocker cake so I must credit that company for sharing these wonderful bars with me. Aside from the cake mix you will also need a tub of cherry frosting.  Now, I must say that finding that frosting in my local stores was probably the most difficult part of this whole baking procedure. I finally found it, but I was a little panicked, thinking that I could never make these bars again.  

I first made these Cherries Jubilee Cheesecake Bars years ago for a family gathering.  I’m sure that most of my family members enjoyed them but Brenda’s reaction really stuck with me.  And so, they became her bars. I must admit that I put that little box panel away in my tin of recipes and forgot about it.  I have a really bad habit of trying new dishes all the time and so I don’t have time to go back to favorites as much as I should.  You know how some people are impulse shoppers (my hand is raised in acknowledgement here)? Well, I am an impulse cooker and baker.  It is kind of ridiculous but relatively harmless.

So, a few months ago, I was rummaging around in that old tin full of recipe clippings and found it again.  I put it with some other recipes that I wanted to make but didn’t get to it very soon. Finally, I had an opportunity to make treats for a family gathering and whipped them up.  They were just as good as I remembered and that is high praise coming from me because they are not chocolate. I have been known to say that a sweet that is not chocolate is just a waste of calories for me.  I will definitely make an exception for these. These bars have a slightly crunchy crust with a creamy, sweet cherry cheesecake on top and then a sprinkling of crunch as a finale. They are super easy to make with just a few ingredients and keep well in the refrigerator for days and days – if they last that long.  My prediction is that they will not. Just saying.