Cherry Cake Squares

 

What a miserable horrible lousy rotten day it is out there today.  Windy, rainy, cold . . .  but at least its not snow!  In any case the lighting for my photos is horrible, but I hope you don't mind too much, and that it won't deter you from making one more holiday square for your cookie trays! 

 

Its an old, old Maritime Recipe from back home.  You will find it printed on the pages of many a community or church cookbook. This is a pretty regular bake for most family celebrations over the holidays.

 

Its a pretty basic batter . . .  a  Blondie type of bar, but with white sugar instead of brown . . . but it bakes up dense and chewy . . . . 

 

It is filled with lots of glace cherries.  I have used a mix that I was able to get which had golden, dark and light red and green cherries.  Jewel like!  You could use maraschino cherries if you can't get the glace ones.

 

Whichever cherries you use, rinse them well and dry them so that they don't all sink to the bottom when the squares are baking.

 

 They are slathered after baking and cooling with a luscious butter cream icing.  Oh boy  . . .  so good. 

 

These are so rich and sweet, that only a small square will suffice per serving.  I cut them into 1 inch squares.

 

They do sink in the middle when you take them out of the oven, but don't worry about that.  They are supposed to do that. I just trim off the edges and keep them as cuts to enjoy with hot drinks . . .  the centre part is the bit I ice and save for good. 

 

These freeze very well.  Even with the icing.  Just ice, decorate and cut, then freeze them in an airtight container.

 

I put baking paper between the layers to keep them separate and from sticking together. 

 

They are a really pretty addition to your holiday baking/cookie trays!

  

Todd had to enjoy one right away with a hot cup of herbal tea. I will have to hide the others, or they will be gone.  I know enough not to eat these myself.  I would be suffering if I did.  Far too sweet for me to be able to enjoy, even the offcuts.

Yield: 25Author: Marie Rayner

Cherry Cake Squares

prep time: 15 minscook time: 55 minstotal time: 70 mins

An old Maritime recipe from back home. Wouldn't be Christmas without these dense glace cherry filled Blondie type squares topped with a sweet butter cream icing! These also freeze very well and are a great addition to the Holiday Cookie Tray.

ingredients:

225g butter, softened (1 cup)

300g granulated sugar (1 1/2 cups)

2 large free range eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp each soda and salt

280g plain flour (2 cups)

190g glace cherries, quartered (1 cup)

(rise with warm water and dry)

To ice:

260g sifted icing sugar (2 cups)

115g butter, softened (1/2 cup)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 - 2 TBS milk

halved glace cherries to decorate

instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Line an 8 inch square baking tin with baking paper and set aside.

Cream
 together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs,
 one at at time.  Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.  Whisk
together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt.  Stir into the creamed
 mixture until well combined.  The dough will be very stiff.  Fold in
the prepared cherries.  Spread into the prepared baking tin in an even
layer.  Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes until golden
brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Set on a
wire rack to cool completely, before frosting.

To
 make the icing, beat together the sugar, butter, vanilla and just
enough milk to give you a thick, fluffy, creamy mixture.  Spread evenly
on the cold squares.  Decorate with halved cherries.  Cut into 1 inch
squares to serve.

Created using The Recipes Generator 

 

I wish I could show you how lousy the weather looks from my window near where my desk it.  Its just horrible.  If it was snow, we would be in the middle of a blizzard! Now that would be perfectly charming.  Bon Appetit!