Cherry Almond Bars

Prep Time: 25 mins
Bake Time: 35 mins
Serves 16 

These bars make a beautiful holiday cookie with a buttery almond shortbread and sweet red, gooey cherries baked on top.  I created this recipe at 6am on a Wednesday before work a couple days after Christmas because I hadn’t yet made a bar cookie for the holidays and I didn’t feel complete.  I love baking with cherries because of their impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. Cherries are especially high in polyphenols, a large group of plant chemicals that help fight cellular damage, reduce inflammation, and promote overall health - something we can all use during the holidays!  Even my keto friends will enjoy this dessert because despite the cherries, they are still low carb! 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x9” baking pan with parchment paper.

Mix dry ingredients of the shortbread base in a bowl then mix in the Butter Swap, almond extract and hot water as needed until dough is crumbly but sticks together when pressed.  Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the parchment lined pan and parbake the crust for about 10 minutes until edges start to turn golden. Remove from the oven and set aside while you make the cherry topping.    

Make sure to drain your soft, soaked cherries but don’t squeeze them, you want the natural juices from the cherries for this filling.  Mix and smoosh all ingredients for the cherry topping together until cherries are broken up but still slightly chunky.  Pour the cherry topping on the par baked crust, then return to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until done.  

Remove from the oven and let them completely cool on a rack before transferring to the refrigerator to fully set overnight.  They will firm up in the fridge, then you can slice and stack them in a sealed container.  Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for long term storage.