| Oatmeal Cherry Bars |
Cuisine: Dessert, Snack
Author: Betsy Cohen
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 1 hour 10 mins
Frozen cherries are used in Oatmeal Cherry Bars because cherry season is very short. Substitute fresh cherries when they are available, if desired.
Ingredients
- Cherry filling:
- 3 cups (395 grams) frozen unsweetened cherries
- 5 tablespoons (67 grams) sugar
- 2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch
- ⅓ cup (77 grams) CK Mondavi and Family Red Blend wine
- Crust:
- 1½ cups (223 grams) all purpose flour
- 1½ cups (131 grams) old fashioned oats
- ⅔ cup (146 grams) sugar
- ⅓ cup (89 grams) light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (4 grams) salt
- 12 tablespoons (146 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the cherry filling:
- Place the cherries, sugar, cornstarch and wine into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the filling is clear and thick. The back of the spoon will drag through the filling, separating it as it goes. Remove from the heat and cool completely before preparing the dough.
- For the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a 9" x 9" baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the flour, oats, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Use a spoon to stir the ingredients together. Add the butter and mix in, either with your hand or the spoon, followed by the egg and vanilla.
- Press ⅔ of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the cooled cherry filling. Crumble the remaining dough over the filling.
- Bake at 350º for 40 minutes, rotating the pan front to back halfway through.
- Remove from the oven and cool. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and cut into bars.
Notes
Additional time is needed for the cherry filling to cool and the bars to refrigerate before cutting.
Recipe by Desserts Required at https://www.dessertsrequired.com/oatmeal-cherry-bars