Cherry Garcia Bars Recipe

4.50 from 10 votes

Shortbread crust topped with chocolate and cherries make this Cherry Garcia Bar recipe absolutely delicious! The brown butter flavor plays up the flavor of the fresh cherries.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: North American

Servings:

Calories: 228kcal

Author: Linda

Equipment

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

Ingredients

For the shortbread crust:

3/4 c. unsalted butter melted
2/3 c. sugar
Caviar from half of a vanilla bean
2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. salt

For the filling:

1 c. unsalted butter
3 eggs
1/3 c. white sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. bourbon or try almond extract
Caviar from half of a vanilla bean
4 c. cherries halved and pitted
3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate pieces roughly chopped (all I had were chocolate chips, but it would have been much prettier with hunks of baking chocolate!)
1 Tbsp. all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with parchment paper, letting the paper come up the sides.
Take the 3/4 c. melted butter and mix with 2/3 c. white sugar and the vanilla bean caviar in a medium bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix with a spatula until combined. Dump the dough into the prepared baking pan and press into shape using your fingers.
Bake the shortbread crust for 17-19 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Keep the oven on.
Meanwhile, toss the cherries with a heaping spoonful of all-purpose flour.
Dice the remaining cup of butter and place in a small heavy-bottomed pot. Heat over medium for 6 minutes, stirring constantly. The butter will foam, turn clear, and then turn a golden brown color. Remove from heat and pour into a glass liquid measuring cup. (Don’t be like me and pour it into a drinking glass without a handle and then burn yourself trying to pick it up.)
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a regular bowl and hand mixer), use the whisk attachment to combine the sugar, eggs, and salt. Add half of the flour, then the bourbon, the rest of the flour, and the vanilla bean caviar.
Once smooth, slowly pour in the browned butter with the mixer running to incorporate into the mixture.
Arrange your cherries and chocolate on top of the cooled shortbread crust. Pour the filling mixture evenly over the top. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 28-32 minutes, or until the top has turned golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for fifteen minutes in the pan, then use the parchment paper to remove the bars from the pan and place on a rack to cool completely.
Once completely cool, use a serrated knife (bread knife works great) to cut into bars. Store bars in the fridge if you don’t consume them all within 24 hours.

Notes

If cherries are not in season, then just find the frozen cherries, thaw them and use them for this delicious recipe.

Nutrition