Christmas Cherry Bars Recipe
These Christmas Cherry Bars combine a tender, buttery shortbread crust with tart dried cherries and sweet white chocolate chips, making a perfect festive treat for the holiday season. The bars are easy to make and bursting with a balanced mix of fruity and creamy flavors, ideal for gifting or enjoying with a cup of tea or coffee.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Add-ins
- 1 cup dried tart cherries, roughly chopped
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar until well combined.
- Cut in Butter: Add the chilled, cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until the dough starts to come together. It should be slightly crumbly but hold when pressed.
- Incorporate Cherries and Chocolate: Gently fold in the roughly chopped dried tart cherries and white chocolate chips evenly throughout the dough.
- Press Dough Into Pan: Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan, pressing it firmly and evenly into the pan’s bottom to form the base of the bars.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden but the center remains set.
- Cool and Slice: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out and slice into squares or rectangles as desired.
Notes
- For chewier bars, substitute half the all-purpose flour with almond flour.
- Make sure the butter is chilled to achieve a tender, crumbly texture in the dough.
- You can swap dried tart cherries for dried cranberries or cherries depending on availability.
- Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
- To enhance flavor, let the bars sit overnight before serving to allow flavors to meld.
Keywords: Christmas cherry bars, holiday desserts, dried cherry bars, white chocolate bars, festive treats
Find it online: https://mjrecipe.com/christmas-cherry-bars-recipe/