Ingredients
Crust:
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- a pinch of salt
Filling:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- a pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
- 1 pound sweet cherries, pitted
Directions
Make crust: Preheat over to 375 degrees. 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.
Using rubber spatula or fork, mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl. Add flour and salt and stir until mixed. 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. Transfer crust to rack and cool in pan. Maintain oven temperature.
Make filling: Cook butter in small saucepan 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 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