Cherry-Berry Bars

As the last weeks of July creep onto my calendar, I’m finding ways to include beautiful summer fruits and vegetables in our menus.  Heading to a weekend getaway in the mountains, I decided to bring along a dessert that gave the spotlight to cherries and strawberries.   I adapted the bars from a recipe by Abby Mandel first published in the July 1989 issue of Bon Appétit.

Jammy Goodness

These cookies start with a quick jam made from fresh cherries and strawberries and a small amount of sugar and lemon juice. 

I used a cherry pitter to remove the pits from the cherries and was finished that task in a short four minutes.  Once pitted, the cherries tore easily into halves, which I added to the strawberries and sugar. After 15 minutes in the sauce pan, the mixture became a bright red and allowed the flavors of the fruit to stand out.

You can cook the jam while the shortbread crust bakes.  

Making the Crust

The base for these bars has only 5 ingredients: flour, brown sugar, butter, egg yolk, and almond extract (which I substituted for the maple flavoring that Mandel had used).  While Mandel topped her bars with only toasted coconut, I added toasted sliced almonds to complement the flavors in the crust.  Plus the crunch and taste of the almonds meshed beautifully with the cherry-berry mixture.

 The food processor helps to bring the shortbread mixture together quickly, after which it is patted into a square baking dish and brushed with egg white.

You can make the crust and jam mixture ahead of time and allow them to cool.

Once they are no longer hot, you simply spread the fruit mixture atop the crust and then sprinkle over toasted almond slices and toasted coconut flakes.

 Tightly covered and refrigerated, the bars can last for 3 days–perfect for making ahead of time for a summer celebration.

Because I made only an 8 X 8 pan, I was a bit worried that each of the 7 diners I was feeding would feel their portion was too small.  Cut into 16 squares, though, the bars provided just the right amount of dessert for our late summer meal–Some folks took one bar, while others took two.  But there was a quarter of a pan left for later.  

We loved the buttery crunch of the shortbread crust sweetened with the fruity flavors of the cherry strawberry jam.  The almond and coconut topping complemented the almond-flavored base. When I went into the kitchen to put the remaining bars away for the next day, I found that the pan was totally empty…a big nod to the cherry-berry goodness of this dessert.

Cherry-Berry Bars

Sunnyside Cook

Dawn Dobie

Buttery shortbread cookie base topped with ruby-colored fruit jam

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 16 servings

Ingredients

  

Cherry-berry jam

• 2 cups fresh sour or Bing cherries --pitted and halved (makes about 1 1/2 cups prepared cherries)
• 7 large fresh strawberries --stems removed and sliced (or about 1 cup of slices)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Shortbread crust

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I used dark brown)
• 1 egg --separated
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Bar topping

• 1/3 cup sliced almonds toasted
• 1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut toasted

Instructions

 

For cherry-berry jam

• Combine cherries, strawberries, and sugar in a heavy small saucepan. Simmer until almost all liquid evaporates and mixture has jam-like appearance, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. (As it thickens to this point, you will see the bottom of the saucepan more and more.)
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely.

For the shortbread

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Separate the egg yolk from the egg white.
• Using food processor with steel knife inserted, process butter, sugar, egg yolk, and almond extract until the mixture is smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor when needed.
• Add the flour and salt in an even layer over the butter mixture and use 4 or 5 on/off turns to mix just until the dough is combined. Do not overprocess or allow the dough to form a ball in the food processor.
• Transfer the dough to an 8 X 8 baking dish (preferably glass) and pat down into the bottom of the pan to create an even layer. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until foamy. Brush the top of the dough with the egg white. Bake crust until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Cool the baked dough completely.

For the topping

• Maintaining oven heat, lightly toast the sliced almonds and the coconut flakes --each in its own baking dish-- until light golden brown. Remember to stir frequently so that neither burns.
• Remove from oven and place on rack. Allow the almonds and coconut to cool.

To finish

• Spread the cherry-berry jam mixture over the shortbread crust.
• Sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds and coconut flakes, gently pressing them into the jam if needed.
• Cut bars into 16 squares.

Notes

Bars can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover with airtight wrap and refrigerate.

Adapted from Abby Mandel in Bon Appétit (July 1989)