Cherry-Almond Butter Bars

Directions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan, preferably Pyrex.

2. In a small bowl, combine the cherry pie filling and ½ teaspoon of the almond extract. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for 1 to 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the eggs. Add the vanilla extract and the remaining 1 teaspoon almond extract.

4. Slowly beat in the flour until combined.

5. Scrape the batter into the pan, reserving ⅓ to ½ cup of the batter. Evenly spread the cherry mixture over the batter. Dollop the reserved batter evenly over the filling.

6. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. (You may want to rotate between the bottom and middle racks to even out the cooking.) The bars are done when a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out clean and the bottom is browned. The sides of the dish will begin to brown before the center is finished. You may want to err on the side of not cooking the center until completely done because the bars will set up slightly as they cool. Allow the dish to cool to room temperature. Drizzle with the glaze, cut, and serve.

Glaze

1. Slowly whisk the milk into the powdered sugar until you achieve the desired consistency. Whisk in the almond extract.