Chocolate Cherry Bars

These are so rich tasting!

Chocolate Cherry Bars

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

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and cocoa.
Cut in butter until crumbly. Add egg and almond extract
until blended; set aside 1 cup of this mixture for topping.

Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 9-by-13-inch pan.

Carefully top with pie filling.

Combine chocolate chips, almonds, and reserved crumb mixture;
sprinkle over pie filling.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick
inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool and refrigerate for at least two hours before cutting into bars.