Soft cookie base, fresh cherry filling and crumble top. Easier than pie, and can be adapted to serve a crowd!
Ingredients
base of bars:
1/2 cupunsalted butter, softened
1cupgranulated sugar
2largeeggs
1teaspoonvanilla or almond extract
1/2teaspoonsea salt
1 1/2cupsall purpose flour
cherry filling (see recipe notes for substitutions):
2 cupsfresh or frozen cherries, pitted and cut in half or sliced. About 1 lb cherries, weighed before pitting, I measure the cherries heaping in the cup or about 2 1/4 cups total
1tablespooncornstarch
1tablespoongranulated sugar
1teaspoonvanilla or almond extract
zest from 1 lemon
crumble topping:
1/2cupall purpose flour
1cupold fashioned oats
6tablespoonsunsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, barely soft
1/2teaspoonground cinnamon
1/2cuplight or dark brown sugar
glaze:
1tablespoonunsalted butter, softened
2tablespoonslemon juice
1cuppowdered sugar
cream or milk to thin if needed
optional mix in items:
1 cup dark chocolate chips with cherries, 1/2 to 1 cup chopped or slivered almonds in crumble topping, 1/2 cup coconut in base or crumble topping.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set rack in middle of oven. Generously grease a 9x13 pan.
Prepare the crumble topping and fruit layer:
Mix the crumble ingredients in a bowl or with the blade attachment, use a food processor to pulse the crumble topping ingredients together. Set aside.
If using fresh cherries, wash, pit and chop the cherries. Measure 2 heaping cups of fruit. If using frozen, do not thaw, place fruit in a bowl and toss with cornstarch, sugar and lemon zest. Set aside.
Prepare the base layer:
In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup of butter and 1 cup of sugar together. Turn off mixer. Add eggs and extract and mix again until smooth about 30-60 seconds.
Turn off mixer and add salt and flour to the mixing bowl. Mix on low just until flour dissapears into the butter mixture.
Assemble the bars:
Using a large spatula, spread the mixture evenly into the prepared 9x13 pan. Sprinkle a light layer (about 1 tablespoon) of flour over the dough, this will make it easier to spread the dough. Use your hands to pat the base layer out if it is easier!
Spread the prepared cherry mixture over the dough.
Evenly distribute the crumble topping over the fruit layer.
Bake, prepare glaze:
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove and let cool for 20-30 minutes. Prepare the glaze by mixing the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
When the bars have cooled a bit, drizzle the glaze with a spoon over the bars. Cut and serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of ice cream.
Notes
If fresh cherries are not available, you may use frozen pitted cherries, thawed and drained or canned cherries, drained. For the frozen and canned cherry options, measure out 2 to 2 1/4 cups.
Canned cherry pie filling may also be used. Use 1- 21 oz can of cherry pie filling. Because the filling is so sweet, cut the sugar in the dough down to 3/4 cup instead of 1 cup. Do not add sugar and cornstarch to the filling if using canned cherry pie filling.
This bar cookie will keep for two days on countertop after baking. The top will loose a bit of its crispy texture, but the dessert will stay fresh for two days.
This recipe may be doubled easily and baked in a standard jelly roll pan.