Cherry Streusel Bars
By Katie LeairdPublished on April 19, 2017
Time
1½ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Makes twenty-four 2-inch squares
Ingredients
Crust
2 ½ cups (12 ½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour ⅔ cup (4 ⅔ ounces/132 grams) granulated sugar ½ teaspoon salt 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilledCherry Filling
2 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) frozen sweet cherries, thawed1 cup cherry preserves 2 teaspoons lemon juice ¼ teaspoon almond extract Pinch saltStreusel
½ cup (1 ½ ounces/43 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats ½ cup slivered almonds, chopped¼ cup packed (1 ¾ ounce/50 grams) brown sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and softenedBefore You Begin
Measure the cherries while they are still frozen, and then transfer them to a paper towel–lined baking sheet to thaw. One 12-ounce jar of cherry preserves is more than enough preserves for this recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray foil lightly with vegetable oil spray.
- Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand, about 15 pulses.
- Transfer 1¼ cups dough to medium bowl and set aside. Transfer remaining dough to prepared pan and use your hands to evenly distribute it over bottom of pan (dough will be slightly dry). Using bottom of dry measuring cup, firmly press dough into even layer. Bake until light golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
- Meanwhile, wipe processor bowl clean with paper towels. Pulse all ingredients in food processor until finely chopped, about 7 pulses; set aside.
- Add oats, almonds, and sugar to reserved dough and toss to combine. Add butter and rub mixture between your fingers until butter is fully incorporated and mixture forms small clumps. Set aside streusel.
- Transfer filling to pan and spread evenly over crust (crust needn’t be cool). Sprinkle streusel evenly over filling (do not press streusel into filling). Bake until filling is bubbling and streusel is deep golden brown, 24 to 28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Transfer pan to wire rack and let bars cool completely. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan. Cut into 24 squares and serve.
for the crust
for the cherry filling
for the streusel
Time
1½ hours, plus 20 minutes coolingYield
Makes twenty-four 2-inch squaresIngredients
Crust
2 ½ cups (12 ½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour
⅔ cup (4 ⅔ ounces/132 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
Cherry Filling
2 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) frozen sweet cherries, thawed
1 cup cherry preserves
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Pinch salt
Streusel
½ cup (1 ½ ounces/43 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup slivered almonds, chopped
¼ cup packed (1 ¾ ounce/50 grams) brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and softened
Ingredients
Crust
2 ½ cups (12 ½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour
⅔ cup (4 ⅔ ounces/132 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
Cherry Filling
2 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) frozen sweet cherries, thawed
1 cup cherry preserves
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Pinch salt
Streusel
½ cup (1 ½ ounces/43 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup slivered almonds, chopped
¼ cup packed (1 ¾ ounce/50 grams) brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and softened
Ingredients
Crust
2 ½ cups (12 ½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour
⅔ cup (4 ⅔ ounces/132 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
Cherry Filling
2 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) frozen sweet cherries, thawed
1 cup cherry preserves
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Pinch salt
Streusel
½ cup (1 ½ ounces/43 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup slivered almonds, chopped
¼ cup packed (1 ¾ ounce/50 grams) brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and softened
Why This Recipe Works
To streamline these three-layer bars, we made one dough and used it for both the base and the streusel topping (for which we stirred in a couple of crunchy additions). We found that the best cherry flavor came from a mixture of frozen cherries and jarred cherry preserves. Luckily, that winning combination required no stovetop cooking time.
Before You Begin
Measure the cherries while they are still frozen, and then transfer them to a paper towel–lined baking sheet to thaw. One 12-ounce jar of cherry preserves is more than enough preserves for this recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray foil lightly with vegetable oil spray.
- Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand, about 15 pulses.
- Transfer 1¼ cups dough to medium bowl and set aside. Transfer remaining dough to prepared pan and use your hands to evenly distribute it over bottom of pan (dough will be slightly dry). Using bottom of dry measuring cup, firmly press dough into even layer. Bake until light golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
- Meanwhile, wipe processor bowl clean with paper towels. Pulse all ingredients in food processor until finely chopped, about 7 pulses; set aside.
- Add oats, almonds, and sugar to reserved dough and toss to combine. Add butter and rub mixture between your fingers until butter is fully incorporated and mixture forms small clumps. Set aside streusel.
- Transfer filling to pan and spread evenly over crust (crust needn’t be cool). Sprinkle streusel evenly over filling (do not press streusel into filling). Bake until filling is bubbling and streusel is deep golden brown, 24 to 28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Transfer pan to wire rack and let bars cool completely. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan. Cut into 24 squares and serve.
for the crust
for the cherry filling
for the streusel
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