Orchard View Cottage

Ah...well,I have been diligently working on some recipies for our town's annual festival, Harbor Days. Each year there is a cherry bake off and this year I am going to enterthe contest and finding new and original recipies proves to be quite the task!! I thought I'd share a cherry recipe with ya and some pics so you can be inspired to get those fresh cherries that are everywhere now and get to baking!! I will post later about the bake off and what recipe I ended up deciding on!!

Check out these adorable cherry pie cupcakes!! Too Cute!!

Here is a recipe for ya!!

CHERRY BROWN BUTTER BARS

Cherry Brown Butter Bars

Crust:7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract,1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, Pinch of salt

Filling:1/2 cup sugar,2 large eggs,Pinch of salt, 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract,1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced1 pound sweet cherries, which will yield 12 ounces of pitted cherries, which yielded some leftovers, perfect for snacking (alternately, you can use 12 ounces of the berry of your choice)

Make crust: Preheat over to 375°F. Cut two 12-inch lengths of parchment paper and trim each to fit the 8-inch width of an 8×8-inch square baking pan. Press it into the bottom and sides of your pan in one direction, then use the second sheet to line the rest of the pan, perpendicular to the first sheet. Congratulations! You’ve just faked a square tart pan.

Using rubber spatula or fork, mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl, in the bottom of the small saucepan you used to melt the butter. Add flour and salt and stir until incorporated. Transfer dough to your prepared pan, and use your fingertips to press the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust until golden, about 18 minutes (it will puff slightly while baking). Transfer crust to rack and cool in pan. Maintain oven temperature.

Make the filling: Cook butter in heavy small saucepan (a lighter-colored one will make it easier to see the color changing, which happens quickly) over medium heat until deep nutty brown (do not burn), stirring often and watching carefully, about six minutes. Immediately pour browned butter into glass measuring cup to cool slightly.

Whisk sugar, eggs, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add flour and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk browned butter into sugar-egg mixture; whisk until well blended.
Arrange pitted cherries, or the berries of your choice, in bottom of cooled crust. Carefully pour browned butter mixture evenly over the fruit. Bake bars until filling is puffed and golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool bars completely in pan on rack.