These festive
Christmas Cherry Dessert Bars are a holiday showstopper, featuring a buttery, shortbread-like crust and crumble top sandwiching a bright, sweet-tart cherry pie filling. Drizzled with a sweet vanilla glaze and dotted with red and green accents, they bring both vibrant holiday cheer and incredible flavor to your dessert table.
Ingredients & Prep
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The Crust & Crumble Base: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter (cut into small cubes), 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon pure almond extract (which pairs wonderfully with cherries).
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The Filling: One 21-oz can of cherry pie filling (or cherry tart filling).
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The Holiday Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, and 1/4 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract.
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Optional Holiday Touch: A handful of finely chopped pistachios or red/green sanding sugar sprinkled over the glaze.
1.Preheat and Prep Pan:Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides so you can easily lift the bars out later.
2.Make the Crumble Dough:Mix flour, sugar, and salt, then cut in cold butter until crumbly.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and cut it in using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat the egg and almond extract together, then toss into the crumb mixture until just incorporated.
3.Press the Crust:Press two-thirds of the dough firmly into the bottom of the pan.
Reserve about 1 cup of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining two-thirds of the dough firmly and evenly into the bottom of your prepared 9×13-inch pan to form the crust.
4.Add the Cherry Filling:Spread cherry pie filling evenly over the crust layer.
Spoon the cherry pie filling over the unbaked crust, using a spatula to spread it into an even layer across the entire surface.
5.Top and Bake:Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top and bake at 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes.
Scatter the reserved 1 cup of crumb mixture evenly over the cherry filling. Bake at 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes until the crumb topping is lightly golden and the cherry filling is bubbling.
6.Glaze, Cool, and Serve:Cool completely, drizzle with glaze, and slice into bars.
Let the bars cool completely in the pan (chill in the fridge for 1 hour to make slicing clean). Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and extract, drizzle over the top, and cut into festive squares!
