Description
Delectable cherry almond dream bars celebrate summer’s sweetest flavors with rich nutty undertones. Creamy layers and buttery crust invite home bakers to savor each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8.5 oz (240 g) sugar cookie mix
- 8 oz (226 g) softened cream cheese
- 1 large egg
- ½ can cherry pie filling
- 4 tbsps (56 g) cold unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (40 g) toasted sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, ensuring complete coverage for effortless removal.
- Crust Creation: Pulse sugar cookie mix and cold butter in a food processor until forming coarse crumbs. Press approximately 2/3 of the mixture into the pan, creating a compact base layer using a measuring cup for even distribution.
- Initial Baking: Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes until edges turn golden, then remove and allow brief cooling.
- Cream Cheese Layer: Whip cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and egg in a mixing bowl until achieving a silky, lump-free consistency. Spread evenly across the partially baked crust, ensuring complete coverage.
- Fruit and Topping Assembly: Delicately spoon cherry pie filling over the cream cheese layer, creating an attractive pattern. Combine remaining cookie crumbs with sliced almonds to craft a crunchy, textured topping.
- Final Baking: Sprinkle almond-cookie mixture generously over the cherry filling. Return to oven and bake 35-40 minutes until top turns rich golden brown and filling sets with a slight center jiggle.
- Cooling and Serving: Allow bars to cool completely at room temperature for one hour, then refrigerate for two additional hours. Carefully lift from pan using foil edges, slice into squares, and serve chilled for optimal flavor and texture.
Notes
- Chill Before Cutting: Refrigerating for 2 hours helps bars set perfectly, creating clean, precise cuts and enhancing flavor development.
- Butter Temperature Matters: Use cold butter for the crust to ensure a flaky, crumbly texture that doesn’t become greasy or dense.
- Check Doneness Carefully: Look for a golden-brown top and a slightly jiggly center, which indicates the bars are perfectly baked without overcooking.
- Foil Lining Tip: Press foil smoothly into pan corners to prevent filling from seeping underneath and ensure easy, mess-free removal of bars.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg