A creamy bar that's bursting with cherries and cherry flavor, with subtle notes of fragrant lemon. They're dense and firm, and have lots of texture from the cherries. Extremely easy and fast to make, the batter comes together in less than 5 minutes and no mixer is required. A small-batch recipe, making just 8 wedges.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time25 minutesmins
Course: Bars & Blondies
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 230kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
¼cupunsalted butterhalf of one stick, melted
1large egg
½heaping cup sweetened condensed milkhalf of one standard can
½cuplemon juice
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1teaspoonlemon extractoptional and to taste (I didn't use it)
¾cupall-purpose flour
2teaspoonslemon zest
¼teaspoonsaltoptional and to taste
1cupmaraschino cherriesroughly chopped and patted dry
2 to 4tablespoonswhite chocolate chipsmelted for drizzling; optional but recommended
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F, line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside. Add butter to a large microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Wait for butter to cool for a minute or two before adding the egg (so you don't scramble it). Add the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, vanilla extract, optional lemon extract, and whisk until smooth. Add the flour, lemon zest, optional salt, and stir to incorporate. Gently fold in the cherries. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for 19 to 23 minutes, or until center is just set; don't overbake or it will turn rubbery. Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before removing. Optionally, drizzle with melted white chocolate.
While the bars cook, melt the white chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl in 15-second increments in the microwave, stopping after each burst to stir. Heat in bursts until chocolate can be stirred smooth. Note that white chocolate scorches easily and so don't overcook. Some people find it's easier to get it to melt smoothly if they heat it on 50% power. Drizzle bars with melted white chocolate, wait a few minutes until it's set, before slicing and serving. Bars will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.