How delightful is this? Let us count the ways: a crispy, buttery sprinkling of coconut, walnuts and brown sugar tops a luscious layer of cherries, which nestles into a rich bed of cream cheese, which is spread over more coconut and walnuts, then baked.
INGREDIENTS (for 4 servings):
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
Chop 1/2 cup walnuts coarsely and reserve them for topping. Chop the remaining 1/2 cup nuts fine.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and butter. Blend the mixture well. Add coconut and the finely chopped nuts. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture. Press the remaining flour mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are light brown.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine sugar and cream cheese. Stir in egg and vanilla. Beat mixture until smooth. Spread this mixture over the hot (just baked) layer.
Return the pan to the oven and bake 10 minutes. When the cake has finished cooking, spread the cherry pie filling over the hot cake and sprinkle the remaining walnuts and crumb mixture over the top.
Return the cake to the oven and bake another 15 minutes. Let cool before serving.