Cherry Pie Bars

These bars. I feel I must warn you about them. Indulgent may not even cover it. They are it. 
Addictive and not for the faint of heart. Sugary, buttery, and full of juicy cherries. And a very easy way to get your pie fix with minimal effort.
I made these for 4th of July and happy to have a reason to pull out one of my favorite baking books for the recipe, The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook.
Everything I make from this cookbook is fantastic. Thanks to Cheryl and Griffith for the inspiration and sharing the goods. If you are heading to Savannah in the near future....I highly suggest you get over to the charming Back in the Day Bakery and grab something delicious {and pick up their cookbooks}!

Cherry Pie Bars 

From The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

 Makes 12 large {think I got 15}

Crust and Topping:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Fruit Filling:
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of sea salt
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
Two 16-oz packages frozen cherries, thawed and drained

Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan with butter. Line it with parchment paper, allowing the ends to hang over the sides of the pan a bit.
Preheat oven to 350F.

Make crust and topping: Place all dry ingredients into  a stand mixer bowl. Using the paddle mix on low speed briefly to blend. With mixer on low, add in the butter cubes a little at a time. Mix until the mixture looks crumbly and dry. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of this for the topping.
Press the remaining on the bottom of the pan evenly. Bake the crust for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool for at least 10 minutes.

Make the fruit filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and sour cream and whisk till smooth. Fold in the cherries gently.

Pour the filling evening over the crust. Sprinkle reserved topping all over evenly. Bake for 45-55 minutes until top is golden brown and bubbly.

Cool for an hour before cutting into squares.
*Would be lovely served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.