Whenever I go to a potluck, reunion, or get together centered around food (although I confess to not knowing of many get togethers that aren’t centered around food), I like to take a dessert that everyone is going to ooh and ahh over. Something uniquely decadent, extra special, that you can’t find anywhere else and these Ooey Gooey Cherry Bars are just the thing!
This recipe has been my special go to for two years now, ever since I took one of my favorite bar recipe and played around with it to produce my ultimate favorite bar recipe. Special doesn’t even begin to cover it. These Ooey Gooey Cherry bars are an experience – and one I hope you get to have soon.
The ingredients for Ooey Gooey Cherry Bars are simple and you probably already have most, if not all, of them on hand: all purpose flour, butter, confectioner’s sugar, sugar, eggs, salt, baking powder, vanilla, maraschino cherries (drained and cut in half), and pecans.
Begin by making the crust. I started with the same crust I use on my Lemon Bars. Place flour, butter, and confectioner’s sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl and cut them together with a pastry cutter or long tined fork until crumbly, as pictured on the right.
Press this evenly into a 9×13 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray and bake until just lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes.
Once your crust is done, remove from oven and reduce oven temp to 325 and make your filling. Place sugar, eggs, flour, salt, baking powder, and vanilla in the same bowl you mixed the crust up in – no need to wash it.
Stir together with a large spoon until smooth and creamy – the batter will be very thick. Once it’s mixed, stir in cherries and pecans (Note, pecans are optional).
Spoon the filling over the crust and gently spread to the edges. Bake until set, about 30 minutes.
Isn’t this pretty? Not even cooked and it’s already pretty! I can’t wait to get one of theseOoey Gooey Cherry Bars on my plate!
Allow to cool completely in the pan, then sprinkle with a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar and cut into bars.
Oooh my goodness! These stay all ooey and gooey in the filling but that wonderful buttery crust holds it all together.
Ooey Gooey Cherry Bars are definitely a treat worthy of a special occasion – or one that can make an occasion special!
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter, at room temp
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
For filling
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 ounce jar maraschino cherries drained and cut in half
- 1.5 cups chopped pecans optional
- confectioner's sugar for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In medium mixing bowl, place crust ingredients. Cut butter into flour and confectioner's sugar with a pastry cutter or long tined fork, until well combined and crumbly. Press into 9x13 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until just lightly browned on the edges. Remove from oven when done and reduce temp to 325.
- In same bowl (no need to wash it), place sugar, eggs, flour, salt, baking powder, and vanilla from filling ingredients. Stir together with a long spoon until smooth and creamy - batter will be thick. Stir in cherries and pecans until well incorporated. Spoon filling onto crust and spread to the edges. Bake until set, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Dust top with confectioner's sugar and cut into bars. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Let us always meet each other with a smile for a smile is the beginning of love.
~Mother Theresa
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