Cherry Pie Bars Recipe

Recipe - Cherry Pie Bars with Orange Zest and Brown Sugar Crumble Topping

Posted on Oct 09, 2013

Ingredients:

Cherry pie filling:

2 pounds of sweet cherries (pitted)

3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tbsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. corn starch

Zest of one naval orange (cut into thin strips)

Juice of two lemons

Crumble topping:

1 cup oatmeal (old fashioned)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Using your hands, mix all crumble ingredients together until you have a cohesive mass.

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting

8 oz. unsalted butter (1 stick)

32 grams vegetable shortening (3 tbsp)

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

4 tbsp. ice cold water

Directions:

Simmer cherries for approximated 15 minutes until juices have rendered out and reduced by half. Add salt, sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, lemon juice and cook further until thickened. Take off heat and add vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.

As pie filling is cooling you can prepare the crust. You may also use your favorite store bought pie crust and skip this step. Add all ingredients into a bowl (except water) and crumble between fingers until butter and shortening are fully incorporated into flour. Add water and knead until dough ball is formed. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rest in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

To prepare pie, roll out dough and place in 9x13” baking dish. Crust should only cover bottom of dish. Cut edges to create clean lines and to fill in any gaps in crust. Spread cooled pie filling on crust and top with crumble. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees over for approximated 40 - 45 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares. Serve alone or with your favorite vanilla ice cream.