Description
Rich, buttery Christmas Cherry Bars meld festive sweetness with classic holiday charm, offering delightful crimson-studded squares perfect for seasonal celebrations. Crumbly shortbread base and tangy cherry filling create irresistible dessert bars you’ll want to share with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 12 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 can (21 ounces/595 grams) cherry pie filling
Leavening and Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 350F (175C) and coat a 10×15-inch baking pan with grease to prevent sticking.
- Using an electric mixer, blend softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture becomes airy and pale.
- Incorporate eggs individually into the butter mixture, thoroughly mixing after each egg to ensure smooth integration.
- Fold in vanilla extract, blending until evenly distributed.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, whisking to eliminate any potential lumps.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until a consistent dough forms.
- Distribute approximately three-quarters of the dough evenly across the prepared baking pan, creating a uniform base layer.
- Carefully spread cherry pie filling across the dough, ensuring complete and even coverage.
- Dot the reserved dough over the cherry filling using small spoonfuls, creating a rustic, textured topping.
- Position the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the surface turns golden brown and a toothpick emerges clean when inserted.
- During baking, prepare the glaze by whisking powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract until achieving a smooth, pourable consistency.
- Allow the baked bars to cool slightly, then drizzle the glaze across the surface for added sweetness.
- Once completely cooled, slice into individual bars and serve.
Notes
- Softened butter ensures smooth mixing and creates a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture for the bars.
- Room temperature eggs blend more evenly, preventing lumpy batter and ensuring consistent consistency.
- Use fresh, high-quality cherry pie filling for the most vibrant flavor and best results.
- For gluten-free option, swap all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to maintain the original texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg