Description
These festive Christmas Cherry Bars feature a buttery, tender crust layered with sweet cherry pie filling and topped with a delicate almond-vanilla glaze. Perfectly portioned into 24 squares, they make a delightful holiday treat that’s easy to prepare and sure to please a crowd.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
For the Filling:
- 2 cans (21 oz each) cherry pie filling
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2–3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and spray a 15×10-inch sheet pan with baking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter, Sugar, and Salt: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, sugar, and salt using an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 3-5 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to ensure they are fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts for flavor.
- Mix in Flour: Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the texture tender.
- Form the Base Layer: Press 3 cups of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared sheet pan, using your fingers or the back of a spoon to create a uniform layer.
- Spread Cherry Filling: Evenly spread both cans of cherry pie filling over the dough base, making sure to cover the entire surface.
- Top with Remaining Dough: Drop spoonfuls of the remaining dough over the cherry filling layer, distributing them evenly but leaving some cherry visible.
- Bake Bars: Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cherry filling is bubbling at the edges.
- Prepare Glaze: While the bars cool completely in the pan, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and whole milk in a small bowl until smooth and slightly pourable.
- Glaze and Serve: Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled bars. Allow the glaze to set before cutting into 24 squares and serving.
Notes
- For best results, use room temperature eggs to ensure a smooth batter.
- Do not overmix the dough when adding flour to keep the bars tender.
- If cherry pie filling is too thick, you may warm it slightly to make spreading easier.
- The glaze sets best on completely cooled bars to prevent it from melting.
- These bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
