Description
Delightful maraschino cherry sugar cookie bars blend sweet cherries with classic cookie comfort. Rich layers of flavor create a memorable dessert you’ll savor with each delicious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 cups (595 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 0.75 cup (170 g) soft butter
- 0.75 cup (170 g) maraschino cherries, finely chopped (about 6 oz or half of 16 oz jar)
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.5 tsp almond extract
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp baking powder
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, softened
- 0.25 cup (57 g) butter, softened
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.25 tsp almond extract
- 2.5 – 3 cups (300–360 g) powdered sugar
- Dash of salt
Instructions
- Prepare Cherries: Drain and finely chop maraschino cherries, setting them aside to reach room temperature.
- Cream Base: Utilize an electric mixer to whip butter and sugar until achieving a light, fluffy consistency with soft, billowy peaks.
- Wet Ingredients Fusion: Blend eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts into the butter mixture, ensuring complete incorporation and smooth texture.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Softly sift flour, salt, and baking powder into the wet ingredients, gently stirring to form a cohesive dough.
- Cherry Distribution: Tenderly fold minced cherries throughout the cookie dough, guaranteeing even dispersion of fruit pieces.
- Pan Preparation: Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with grease or line with aluminum foil for seamless bar removal.
- Dough Placement: Carefully spread the dough across the prepared pan, leveling the surface with a spatula to create a uniform layer.
- Baking Process: Position the pan in an oven preheated to 350°F, baking for approximately 20 minutes until edges turn golden brown and center appears fully set.
- Cooling and Frosting Preparation: Allow bars to cool completely, meanwhile crafting the cream cheese frosting by blending cream cheese and butter until silky.
- Frosting Finalization: Incorporate vanilla extract, almond extract, and a hint of salt into the cream cheese mixture, gradually sifting powdered sugar until achieving a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Final Assembly: Once bars have reached room temperature, generously spread the cream cheese frosting across the entire surface, then slice into elegant, uniform squares ready for serving.
Notes
- Drain Cherries Properly: Pat maraschino cherries completely dry with paper towels to prevent excess moisture from making the dough soggy and affecting texture.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure butter, eggs, and cream cheese are at room temperature for smoother mixing and better incorporation of ingredients.
- Avoid Overmixing Dough: Stir flour mixture just until combined to prevent tough, dense cookie bars with a rubbery consistency.
- Check Baking Doneness: Look for golden edges and a slightly firm center; avoid overbaking to maintain soft, tender bars with a delicate crumb.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 17
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg