Description
Sweet Christmas cherry bars blend festive cheer with nostalgic family flavors. Seasonal dessert delivers rich cherry goodness and buttery pastry that delights holiday guests.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 can (21 oz/600 g) cherry pie filling
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare Base: Press flour-based mixture evenly into parchment-lined baking pan, creating a uniform shortbread foundation with golden potential.
- Initial Baking: Partially bake the shortbread crust until edges turn light golden, developing a crisp structural platform for subsequent layers.
- Cherry Layer Application: Spread vibrant cherry filling across warm shortbread, delicately incorporating almond extract to enhance fruity complexity and aromatic depth.
- Crumb Topping Construction: Blend flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter into a nuanced, textural mixture designed to transform into a rustic, golden crown.
- Final Baking Transformation: Bake assembled dessert until crumb topping achieves a rich, burnished brown complexion, allowing flavors to meld and textures to develop perfectly, approximately 25-30 minutes.
- Cooling and Presentation: Allow completely cooled creation to rest in pan, then leverage parchment paper edges to extract and slice into precise, elegant squares that showcase distinctive layered architecture.
Notes
- Butter Consistency Matters: Ensure butter is at room temperature for easier mixing and a smoother shortbread base, preventing lumpy or tough texture.
- Cherry Filling Technique: Drain maraschino cherries thoroughly to avoid excess moisture that could make the base soggy and compromise the dessert’s structural integrity.
- Crumb Topping Precision: Mix crumb ingredients until they resemble coarse, pea-sized crumbles for an optimal crispy and light texture that browns evenly.
- Cooling is Crucial: Allow bars to cool completely before cutting to maintain clean, sharp edges and help layers set properly, preventing crumbly or messy slices.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 15
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg