Cherries N’ Cream Pie Bars

Its June and that means fresh cherries everywhere… well at least hear in Utah its cherry picking season!

What do you do with a bowl full of cherries… eat them of course. And after two days of belly aches it is time to eat some more, Lol! While Im a big fan of fresh cherries Ive never been much for cherry pie filling. So that Is why I love this recipe for Cherries N’ Cream Pie Bars because you can just use fresh cherries with a little bit of sugar sprinkled on top so it’s not overly sweet.

Cherries N’ Cream Pie Bars

(preheat oven to 350 f. )

Need:

pie dough

2 cups of fresh cherries pitted (or cherry pie filling)

1 pkg of cream cheese

1 c. sugar

1 egg white

Pie dough:

2-3/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

1 egg

Milk (about 2/3 cup)

1/4 cup sugar

This pie dough recipe is my favorite for pie bars its thicker and more moist than regular pie crust so it gives it a richer texture and taste. But if you don’t want to spend the extra time just buy pre made pie dough.

1. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Mash the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Separate the egg yolk and white, reserving both parts. Beat the yolk in a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk to measure 2/3 cup and blend well. Stir together the yolk-milk mixture and flour mixture until the ingredients form a sticky dough.

2.Halve the dough and flatten each half into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Cover the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate them until well chilled, at least 30 minutes.

3.Heat the oven to 350 f. degrees.

4.On a sheet of waxed paper, roll one portion of dough into a 15-1/2- by 10-1/2-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough to an ungreased 15- by 10-inch baking sheet.

5. In a medium bowl mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until well blended.Then Spread a thick layer of the cream cheese mixtures on the bottom layer of the pastry dough. Then add the fresh cherries evenly on top of the cream chess mixture. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar on top of the cherries.

6.Roll out the remaining dough like in the last step. Transfer the top dough onto the layer of pie filling. Use the tines of a fork to seal the dough edges.

7.In a small bowl, use a fork to beat the egg white until foamy, then brush it over the dough. And to top it all off Sprinkle a little bit of sugar over the egg brushed crust.

8. Bake until lightly browned, about 40-45 minutes. Let it cool than serve. (I like mine refrigerated and served the next day cold.)