One convenience food that has been around forever is canned cherry pie filling. I always loved to lick the spoon when my mother used it, and I still love it to this day. It seems to be one of the few things that doesn’t have a commercial taste, and the flavor is good and consistent no matter what brand. It is versatile, too, and if you are one of those who loves it, you’ll want to make these gooey Cherry Almond Bars. The idea for these bars came from an excellent new cookbook, Raised in the Kitchen that I was reviewing. Of course I changed the recipe to accommodate my tastes, and my Official Hancock Tasters loved them, even Mr. Picky who generally doesn’t like anything.

The recipe makes a large sheet pan full of bars, and they are perfect to take to a potluck or family gathering. The buttery almond crust complements the cherry filling and anyone who likes cherry and almond flavors will appreciate eating one or more of these bars. The bonus is that they are easy and quick to assemble, so you won’t need to spend a long time in the kitchen.

48 bars

Crust and Topping:
1 cup softened butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond emulsion , or extract

3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt


Filling:

3 15-ounce cans cherry pie filling, or 2 21-ounce cans

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon almond emulsion , or extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line an 11" x 17" jellyroll pan with parchment or spray with non-stick spray.
3. Crust and Topping: Cream the butter and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice; add the extracts and mix well.
5. Place a fine strainer over the butter mixture, measure the flour and salt into the strainer and shake through.
6. With the mixer on low speed, mix well.
7. Measure 1 1/2 cups from the mixture and set aside; spread the remaining batter evenly onto the prepared jellyroll pan.
8. Spread the cherry pie filling over the batter.
9. Drop small dollops of the reserved dough over the cherry pie filling.
10. Bake 35-45 minutes or until lightly browned.
11. Glaze: Mix the powdered sugar, milk, and almond emulsion until smooth (I use my bullet blender); drizzle over the bars while warm.
12. Let the glazed bars cool thoroughly before cutting into 48 squares.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 150 Calories from Fat 40
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 27% Protein 4% Carb. 69%

Nutrient Amount per
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 28 mg
Sodium 84 mg
Total Carbohydrate 26 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 8 g
Protein 1 g

Vitamin A 4% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 1%