Drain and chop cherries. Blot, or wrap, chopped cherries in paper towel to soak up excess moisture. Chop pecans and cut up dates. Measure coconut. Set cherries, nuts, dates and coconut aside.

Line 9”x9” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough paper overhang on sides to grip and lift baked square from pan for icing and cutting. Position oven rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour and sugar together. With mixer set at medium speed, mix in the butter just until crumbly. A food processor may, alternatively, be used to make the base, pulsing the mixture for just a very few short bursts. Mixture will appear dry using either method.

Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Prick base all over with tines of fork to allow steam to release as the base bakes and to eliminate air pockets from forming. As the base mixture will be dry, this is easiest done if the ends of the fork tines are held snugly between the index and middle fingers placed on the crust base as the fork is inserted and removed from the base. This will help keep the base intact while it is being docked with the fork tines.

Bake base 12-15 minutes, or just until edges of crust start to turn very pale golden in color and start to show signs of slightly pulling away from pan sides. Do not overbake or crust will be hard. Cool for about 35-40 minutes in pan on wire cooling rack before adding topping.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the eggs lightly at medium-low speed. Increase speed slightly and beat in brown sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix flour and baking powder together in small bowl. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients. Increase speed slightly and beat just until ingredients are combined and mixture is smooth.

Remove bowl from mixer stand and manually stir in the cherries, pecans, dates, and coconut. Mix only until ingredients are combined. Spread mixture over cooled shortbread base. Bake in center of oven rack in 350°F oven for about 25-28 minutes, or just until top is set and firm to the touch. Cool square completely in pan set on wire cooling rack before icing.

Place butter in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until creamy. Blend in the almond and vanilla extracts. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the sifted icing sugar, about one-half cup at a time. Add the water (or milk), a couple of teaspoons at a time as the icing sugar is being blended in. If desired, add a smidgeon of pink food coloring gel to tint the icing soft pink. Increase speed to medium-low to blend ingredients then increase speed to high and beat an additional minute to ensure ingredients are well combined and icing is smooth. Additional milk or water may be required to make icing of desired spreading consistency. If adding additional milk or water, add by ½ teaspoon at a time. Icing should be of spreading consistency but not “soupy”.

Using the parchment paper overhang, lift square from pan and transfer to cutting board. Peel away the parchment paper. Spread icing evenly over cooled square. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes to set icing then bring square back to room temperature for about 15 minutes before cutting squares into desired size. Squares freeze well.