Description
Delightful Rainier Cherry Pie Bars featuring a buttery shortbread crust, toasted walnuts, and a luscious cherry filling made from fresh Rainier cherries. Perfectly balanced with almond and vanilla extracts, these bars offer a mix of flaky texture and sweet-tart fruitiness for an irresistible dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Crust
- 2 cups butter (softened, 4 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 cups flour (spooned and leveled)
Walnuts
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts (chopped)
Cherry Filling
- 2 & 1/2 pounds Rainier cherries (pitted, about 8 cups cherries)
- 1 & 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Toast walnuts: Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1/2 cup chopped walnuts on a dry baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, stir, then bake in 2-minute increments stirring each time until nuts are browned and fragrant. Remove and let cool.
- Prepare pan: Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper or grease with nonstick spray or butter. Set aside.
- Make shortbread dough – Butter base: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 2 cups softened butter until smooth and lump-free, scraping sides and bottom as needed.
- Add sugar: Add 1 cup granulated sugar and beat for 2 minutes until butter is light and fluffy.
- Incorporate extracts and salt: Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and 1 & 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Beat to combine.
- Add flour: Add 1 cup flour, beat until combined. Continue adding remaining flour 1 cup at a time (total 4 cups), beating and scraping bowl each addition. Mix last parts manually if needed.
- Form crust base: Use about 2/3 of the dough and press evenly into bottom of prepared pan with wet hands to prevent sticking. Chill crust in fridge for 20 minutes for flaky texture.
- Mix walnuts into remaining dough: Add cooled toasted walnuts to remaining dough, mix well, and chill in refrigerator while crust bakes.
- Bake crust: Bake the chilled crust at 375°F for 18-20 minutes, until edges are golden and center is no longer shiny. Let cool.
- Lower oven temp: Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- Prep cherries: Pit cherries using a cherry pitter or a metal straw, leaving cherries whole. Place in a 3-quart pot.
- Make cherry filling: Add 1 & 1/4 cups sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 & 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to cherries. Stir to combine.
- Cook filling: Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to medium or medium-high to keep a strong simmer. Boil for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cherries soften and mixture thickens and foams.
- Assemble bars: Pour hot cherry filling over baked crust in pan.
- Add walnut shortbread topping: Quickly scatter the remaining walnut dough in small quarter-sized pieces over cherries to cover. Optionally sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons demerara sugar for extra crunch.
- Bake assembled bars: Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until topping is lightly browned.
- Cool and serve: Remove bars from oven and cool completely on wire rack. Optionally chill in fridge or freezer to speed cooling. Bars can be enjoyed warm with vanilla ice cream or cooled and sliced.
Notes
- Using cold dough for the crust before baking yields a flaky texture.
- Toasting walnuts enhances their flavor and adds crunch.
- Be sure to use a metal straw or cherry pitter for easy pitting without halving cherries.
- Sprinkling demerara sugar on the topping is optional for added texture.
- Bars can be served warm or fully cooled; warm bars are delicious with ice cream but can be messy.
