Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks, 226g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups (approximately 2 lbs, 900g) fresh or frozen pitted cherries (thawed and drained if frozen)
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but adds a lovely flavor)

Instructions:

  1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in vanilla extract.
  2. Reserve half of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining half firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to create a crust.
  3. Place the baking pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill and firm the crust.
  4. In a large bowl, gently combine the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and almond extract (if using). Make sure all cherries are coated in the mixture.
  5. Pour the cherry filling evenly over the chilled crust.
  6. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the cherry filling.
  7. Bake in a preheated oven until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
  8. Let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares. This will allow the filling to set properly.