Cherry Crumble Bars

These bars are just like a cherry crumble with fresh, juicy, seasonal cherries

Cherries are one of my favourite things about summertime in the UK. I won't buy them any other time other than when they are flourishing and out of principle of buying seasonally (which I always encourage). My sister loves cherries, but she can't be bothered for the mess of eating them, so I am always happy to take on the dirty work and whip up a lovely dessert showcasing these juicy drupes. The reason I make my crumbles into bars is another ease of consumption. I like a crumble, but crumble bars are easier to slice and serve, can easily be eaten on-the-go and dished out for family and friends AND this way you get a base, a filling and a topping - basically more of the crumble which as I said above, is the part we all love. The filling can speak for itself of course, because the cherries are still the main character here which is why I added almonds into the crumble for a little harmony between the two. Serve these after a bbq with some vanilla ice cream for a delicious summer dessert. 

If you love cherries and crumble....

Check out my other recipes for more inspiration!

• Cherry Lattice Pie
• Pear and Coconut Crumble Bars
• Apricot Frangipane Tart

Recipe

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 45 minutes

Serves: 12

Notes:

• You can also use frozen cherries if this is more accessible. 
• These crumble bars can be reheated to warm them up, but only once, do not keep reheating the traybake. 

Ingredients

Base

• 150g butter softened
• 220g plain flour
• 50g caster sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Filling 

• 500g fresh cherries, pitted and halved
• 50g caster sugar
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• 2tbsp cornstarch
• 120ml water

Topping

• 150g butter, cold and cubed
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g plain flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 2g salt

Method

1. Make the topping first. In a large bowl combine the flour, almonds and sugar. Then add the butter and use your hands to rub it into the dry mixture. It needs to resemble breadcrumbs but in smaller chunks. Place in the fridge til needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 180℃ and line an 9x9 inch baking tray with baking paper. 
3. Make the base. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and sugar then add the butter. Again, use your hands to rub the butter into the dry mixture.
4. Press the mixture into the baking tray and flatten evenly. Bake for 12 minutes until golden. 
5. Meanwhile make the filling.In a large saucepan, add the cherries, sugar, lemon juice and 60ml of the water. Place onto a hob/stove top and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Keep on the heat so that the cherries release their juices and soften - about 3 minutes. 
6. Mix the remaining water with the cornstarch until there aren't any lumps.Add this to the saucepan and mix. Cook the mixture until it coats the back of a spatula. It should be thick and glossy after 3 minutes.
7. Spoon the filling onto the baked base. Sprinkle over the crumbled topping then place back in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
8. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before removing and slicing. 
9. Best stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Christina

xx