Cherry-Fig Merlot Bars

I am a huge fan of anything with cherry in it.  For this recipe, I wanted to give the cherries a unique flavor by adding dried figs and Merlot wine.  It kind of reminds me of an adult version of those fig cookies you see at the grocery store.   The base is rich and buttery like shortbread.  The filling is balanced nicely with the use of dried tart cherries and sweet dried figs.  When you take your first bite, you are pleasantly surprised by the addition of the wine.  It really enriches the dried fruit and gives the bar depth.  I hope you will enjoy these bars at your next gathering.

Filling:

8oz. dried Mission Figs, halved and stems removed

8oz. dried tart cherries

½ cup Imperial white granulated sugar

1 cup of Merlot wine

1 cup of water

1 teaspoon of pure almond extract

1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Crust and topping:

3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup of Imperial white granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder

2 sticks of unsalted butter, cut in ½” slices

1 teaspoon of pure almond extract

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the dried figs, dried tart cherries, 1/2 cup sugar, Merlot wine, water, pure almond extract and ground cinnamon.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Transfer the cherry-fig mixture to a large food processor.  Process for 20 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to process until mixture is smooth.  Transfer the filling to a mixing bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly spray an 11x15x2" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray with flour added.  Set aside.

In a large food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, 1 cup of sugar, and the baking powder.  Turn on the processor, and quickly add the butter slices one at a time, and the pure almond extract.  Keep the machine running just until the mixture starts to come together.  The mixture will stick to the sides of the bowl and will stick together when pinched.  Reserved 1 1/4 cups of the mixture for the topping.  Place the rest of the crumbs in the prepared baking pan and evenly press crumbs to coat the bottom of the pan.  Bake the crust at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or until the edges are a very light brown.  Remove from the oven and spread the cherry-fig filling over the crust.  Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top and return the pan to the oven.  Bake an additional 35 minutes or until edges are light brown and filling is slightly bubbling.  Cool bars completely before cutting.  This recipe will make 20 bars cut into approximately 3 x 2 1/2" squares.  Cover and refrigerated any leftovers.

Enjoy!