Description
Indulgent cherry delight bars blend sweet cherries with a buttery graham cracker crust for a classic dessert. Creamy layers and tangy fruit create a perfect balance savored by dessert enthusiasts everywhere.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cans (21 oz / 595 g each) cherry pie filling
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 2–3 tbsps / 30-45 ml milk
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with butter or non-stick spray.
- Creaming: Whip butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy, creating a smooth, aerated base for the dessert.
- Egg Integration: Add eggs one at a time, blending thoroughly to maintain a consistent, silky batter texture.
- Flavor Infusion: Fold in vanilla and almond extracts, ensuring even distribution of aromatic elements.
- Dough Formation: Gently mix flour into the wet ingredients until just combined, avoiding overmixing to maintain a tender crumb.
- Base Layer: Spread half the dough evenly across the prepared pan, creating a sturdy foundation for the dessert.
- Fruit Layer: Distribute cherry pie filling uniformly over the initial dough, adding a vibrant and tangy element.
- Topping Application: Delicately dot the remaining dough across the cherry filling, creating a rustic, textured surface.
- Baking Process: Bake for 30-35 minutes, monitoring until the top turns golden brown and the bars are set.
- Cooling and Finishing: Allow bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then prepare the glaze by whisking powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and milk until smooth.
- Final Touch: Elegantly drizzle the glaze over the cooled cherry bars, enhancing both presentation and flavor.
Notes
- Butter Softening Tip: Ensure butter is at room temperature for smooth, even mixing and better incorporation with other ingredients.
- Egg Incorporation Technique: Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly to prevent batter separation and create a silky, uniform texture.
- Flour Mixing Caution: Stir flour gently until just combined to avoid tough, dense bars – overmixing develops excess gluten.
- Cooling Critical Step: Allow bars to cool completely in the pan before glazing to prevent structural collapse and ensure clean, precise cutting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg