For the Bars:
Ingredients: Quantity
Butter, softened 1 ½ cups
Granulated sugar 3 cups
Salt 1 ½ teaspoons
Large eggs 5
Vanilla extract 1 ½ teaspoons
Almond extract 1 ½ teaspoons
All-purpose flour 5 ½ cups
Baking powder 1 ½ teaspoons
Cherry pie filling 2 (21 oz) cans
For the Glaze:
Ingredients: Quantity
Confectioner’s sugar 1 cup
Milk 3 tablespoons
How To Make Cherry Bars
Preheat Oven & Prep Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12×17-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray it with nonstick spray.
Make the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the 1 ½ cups of softened butter and 3 cups of granulated sugar for about 1-2 minutes. Add the 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, 5 large eggs, 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract, and 1 ½ teaspoons of almond extract. Continue mixing until everything is fully incorporated. Add the 5 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and mix until just combined.
Assemble the Bars: Reserve 1 ¾ cups of the dough. Press the remaining dough into the prepared baking pan to form an even layer. Spoon the 2 cans of cherry pie filling evenly over the dough. Using your hands, drop small pieces of the reserved dough over the cherry filling.
Bake: Place the pan in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Glaze & Serve: Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, prepare the glaze by whisking together the 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar and 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the bars. Cut the bars into 35 squares and serve.
Enjoy this sweet and fruity dessert!
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