Cherry Pie Bars

I love pie.

I love to make it, I love to eat it, and my world of pie knows no discrimination.

Cream pies, meringue pies, fruit pies, even handheld pies.

All good in pie land.

However.

I almost NEVER make pies except for a few at Thanksgiving.

Want to know why?

Well.  I am so very glad that you asked.

Many years ago, I was a new wife.  I fully embraced the whole housewife deal, keeping a clean house, having dinner ready at 6, and usually even having a dessert prepared for later that evening.

Obviously, this was before I started blogging and caring more about internet people than real life people that I live with, but whatevs.

One day, thinking that I’d really take this whole Martha Stewart deal over the top, I lovingly prepared a homemade apple pie with a lattice crust.

It was beautiful.  In fact, I longed for gingham curtains and a large window ledge to cool my pie on.  That’s how picturesque it all was.

Then my husband came home.  He admired the pie, but didn’t eat any that night.

Or the next night.

OR. THE. NEXT.

Finally, I questioned him about his lack of pie eating. And do you want to know what he told me?

“I like apple pie fine, but it’s not my favorite”

NOT. MY. FAVORITE.

Because apparently, while I was living in Pie Land, my husband resided in a place where all his favorite foods were readily available.  So readily available that he shunned a perfectly beautiful pie so as not to disturb his palate.

Needless to say, I haven’t baked an apple pie since.

Or cherry, blackberry, or anything else that isn’t his “favorite”.

He’s pie spoiled.

Trust me, it’s a real thing. Pie Spoiled.

Anyways, the other day I was browsing through one of my cookbooks and I saw this recipe for cherry pie bars.  And duh, I made them because I refuse to make a whole pie just for me but somehow this seems like less commitment.

Try it!!  (You’ll like it)

Cherry Pie Bars

Adapted from Sugar, Sugar

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, slightly softened
• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbs milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 11×7 rimmed baking sheet with nonstick baking spray and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  set aside.  Place butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium until fluffy, about a minute.  Change the mixer speed to low and add the eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla.  Add the flour slowly while the mixer runs on low speed and beat until smooth.  Set aside one cup of batter.

3.  Spread remaining batter in the baking sheet evenly.  Spoon cherry pie filling over the top, spreading evenly over the batter.  Drop the reserved batter by the teaspoonful over the cherry pie filling randomly.

4.  Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until the batter turns golden.  Remove from oven and let cool.

5.  In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, adding more milk if the glaze is too thick.  Spoon over cooled cherry pie bars, cut, and serve.

Do it do it do it.

Enjoy and have a very happy Monday!!

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