Cherry Bars for a Crowd, 1st Recipes Style (Print Version)
Buttery almond cherry bars baked in a big sheet pan, finished with vanilla glaze, and cut into party-ready squares.
# Ingredients:
For the bars
01 -
1 1/2 cups (340 g) unsalted butter, softened
02 -
3 cups (595 g) granulated sugar
03 -
1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
04 -
5 large eggs, room temperature
05 -
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
06 -
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
07 -
5 1/2 cups (660 g) all-purpose flour
08 -
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
09 -
3 cans (21 oz each) cherry pie filling
10 -
Nonstick spray or softened butter, for the pan
For the glaze
11 -
1 cup (115 g) powdered sugar
12 -
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
13 -
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 -
Pinch of salt
# Instructions:
01 -
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12x17-inch jelly roll pan with foil or parchment, leaving overhang on two sides. Grease the lining well.
02 -
Beat the softened butter, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer or large bowl for 2 minutes, until creamy and lighter in color.
03 -
Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts until fully combined.
04 -
Whisk the flour and baking powder together, then add them on low speed. Mix just until a thick, soft dough forms.
05 -
Reserve about 2 cups of dough. Press the remaining dough evenly into the prepared pan. Spread the cherry pie filling over the base, then drop small pieces of reserved dough over the filling.
06 -
Bake for 45-55 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the top dough is golden and the center looks set. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
07 -
Whisk powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add more milk only if needed. Drizzle over the cooled bars, let set, then cut into 35 squares.
# Notes:
01 -
Makes about 35 party-size bars from one 12x17-inch pan.
02 -
Use two cans of cherry filling for a thinner fruit layer or three for a fuller layer.
03 -
Cool completely before glazing and slicing.