Description
These cherry pie bars offer all the flavor of a classic pie with a buttery shortbread crust, luscious cherry filling, and crunchy crumble topping, all made in one simple pan. The recipe adds a sophisticated twist with cardamom spice and rich dark chocolate ganache swirled into the filling.
Ingredients
- For the Shortbread Crust:
- 2.25 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 0.5 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Cardamom Cherry Filling:
- 5 cups (700 g) frozen pitted sour cherries, thawed and drained
- 0.75 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 0.25 cup (30 g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- For the Dark Chocolate Ganache Ribbon:
- 5.3 oz (150 g) dark chocolate (minimum 70%), finely chopped
- 0.5 cup (120 ml) heavy cream (minimum 35% fat)
- For the Crumble Topping:
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 0.25 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 0.25 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 0.25 cup (55 g) melted unsalted butter
Instructions
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
- Bake the Crust: Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt for the crust. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the vanilla extract, then press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
- Cook the Cherry Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the drained cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and cardamom. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Prepare the Ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream until simmering, then pour over chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes before whisking until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish if desired.
- Assemble the Layers: Pour the cherry filling over the warm, pre-baked crust, spreading gently. Drizzle the ganache over the filling in lines, then use a knife to swirl it into the cherry mixture. In a separate bowl, prepare the crumble topping by mixing flour, sugars, and cardamom, then stirring in melted butter until crumbs form. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the bars.
- Final Bake and Cool: Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350°F (175°C) until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least 3-4 hours before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang and cutting into 16-24 bars.
Notes
For clean cuts, allow bars to cool completely for several hours or chill in the refrigerator before serving. If the ganache breaks, slowly whisk in a tablespoon of cool cream to re-emulsify.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg