Okay, here’s my experience sharing about making Christmas Cherry Bars, just like Grandma used to make:
So, I decided to give Grandma’s Christmas Cherry Bars a shot. I remember those things being a big deal every Christmas. We’d all gather around, and those bars were always the first to disappear.
First off, I dug out the old recipe card. It was a bit worn, but you could still make out Grandma’s handwriting. The ingredients were pretty basic: butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and that cherry pie filling she always swore by. I made sure to get everything ready. Oh boy, I softened the butter first, ’cause that’s what the recipe card said. It’s crucial for getting that soft texture she was famous for.
Then I got down to business. I mixed the butter and sugar together until it was all fluffy. Seriously, I used a hand mixer for this part. After that, I cracked in the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one. I didn’t want any eggy chunks, you know?
In a separate bowl, I whisked together the flour and a bit of baking powder. Then, bit by bit, I added the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. I mixed it all up until it formed a nice dough. It felt just right, not too sticky, not too dry.
- Mixing the dough: This was the fun part.
- Baking: I preheated the oven to 350 degrees, just like Grandma instructed.
I pressed half of the dough into a greased baking pan. It’s one of those 9×13 inch ones. Then, I spread the cherry pie filling evenly over the dough. It looked so vibrant and smelled amazing. The rest of the dough? I crumbled it over the top of the cherries. It was like making a cherry crumble but in bar form.
Into the oven it went. I set the timer for about 30 minutes, but I kept an eye on it. You know how ovens can be. When the edges turned golden brown, I knew it was ready. I pulled it out and let it cool completely. This was the hardest part, waiting for it to cool down so I could cut them into bars.
The Final Touch
Once they were cool, I cut them into squares. They looked just like I remembered. I even made a simple glaze with some powdered sugar and milk. Drizzled that over the top for a little extra sweetness. I tasted one, and man, it took me right back to those Christmases at Grandma’s. They were soft, a little chewy, and that cherry filling was just perfect.
I ended up making a whole batch and shared them with my family. They were a hit! It’s not just a recipe, it’s like a little piece of our family history.
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