Cherry Pie Bars

Cherry Pie Bars are a delicious and easy-to-make dessert that combines the flavors of cherry pie in a convenient bar form. They typically consist of a buttery, slightly sweet crust with a layer of cherry filling in the middle, topped with a crumbly streusel topping. Here’s a simple recipe to make Cherry Pie Bars:

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 2 cups cherry pie filling (or fresh/frozen cherries if you prefer to make your own filling)

For the streusel topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper.

2. Make the crust:

   • In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
   • Add the softened butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined (you can use a hand mixer or stand mixer for this).
   • Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form a crust. It should be about 1/4-inch thick.

3. Add the filling:

   • Spread the cherry pie filling evenly over the crust. If using fresh or frozen cherries, cook them down with a bit of sugar until they create a thick filling.

4. Make the streusel topping:

   • In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon (if using).
   • Add the cold, cubed butter and cut it in using a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
   • Sprinkle the streusel topping over the cherry filling.

5. Bake:

   • Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

6. Cool and serve:

   • Let the bars cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before cutting them into squares or bars.
   • Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

These bars are perfect for any occasion and great for a sweet snack or dessert. Enjoy!