Cherry Pie Bars

 “The recipe makes a lovely, buttery pound cake intertwined with cherry pie filling.”

Makes one - 9 x 13 -inch pan (about 18 servings)

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
One 21-ounce can cherry pie filling
Confectioners’ sugar, for glazing (optional; see note)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix to combine. Spread a little over half the cake batter into the pan. Evenly spread the cherries over top, then spoon the rest of the cake batter over the cherries. (It’s fine if the cherries show through.)

3. Bake until the top has turned slightly golden, 30 to 35 minutes. (Do not over-bake.) Cool before slicing into squares.

Note: Optionally, you can finish the cherry pie bars with a glaze made from confectioners’ sugar. Combine about ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar with enough water to make a drizzly consistency, then drizzle over the bars before cutting and serving.