Categories: cookie bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. lemon extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• Generous pinch salt
• 1 1/2 cups pitted and halved fresh sweet cherries

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 × 11-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Add the extracts, then the eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add the butter mixture, beat 3 to 4 minutes, or until smooth, thick dough like batter forms. Spread half the batter in prepared pan. Scatter cherry halves over batter. Place spoonfuls of remaining batter on top of cherries; gently spread to cover fruit.
4. Bake 35 minutes or until wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting.

5. makes 16 bars

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