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Cherry Almond Squares shown stacked on a white pedestal with coffee in the background

Cherry Almond Squares - all natural ingredients & flavours!

Cherry Almond Squares - cherry and almond flavours are a natural combination and this is the easiest recipe that I've found yet to make these cookie bars using fresh or frozen cherries.
Course Cookies
Cuisine North American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 24 cookie bars
Calories 160 kcal
Author Barry C. Parsons

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1 1/3 cups ground almonds
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 2 1/2 cups pitted cherries. If using frozen thaw them first.
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tbsp water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x9 baking pan and line it with parchment paper.

  2. Add the flour, almonds, baking powder & 3/4 cup sugar to a food processor and pulse until well combined. I buy the almonds already ground but you can grind whole almonds in a food processor if you like.

  3. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. (You can just do this with a pastry cutter to rub the butter in with your fingers if you prefer.)
  4. Mix together the egg yolks and Vanilla and almond extracts. Mix into the crumble mixture until a soft dough forms.
  5. Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  6. Mix together the 1/4 cup of sugar and corn starch. Toss with eh cherries and stir in the water. Spread evenly over the cookie dough in the pan.
  7. Press together the remaining dough and break off thumbnail sized pieces and scatter them evenly over and between the cherries.
  8. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top layer is golden brown at the centre.
  9. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 24 cookie bars.