to market: cherry brown butter bars

I’m so thrilled that our local farmer’s market has returned to its outdoor location for the summer (yes, we are lucky enough to  host a market that comes to us year round!). And I’m equally thrilled to bring back my “to market” feature.

Like last year, I hope to challenge myself with new ingredients, or at the very least use traditional ingredients in a new or unexpected way.

Case in point?

Cherries.

cherry brown butter bars

Oh how I love cherries. Their season is short but I try to make the most of it – in savory dishes, right out of the bowl, and of course, in baking. I even broke my “no single use” rule and splurged last year on a cherry pitter at Smorgasburg.

cherry brown butter bars

cherry brown butter bars

Cherry recipes typically fall into the cobbler/pie/clafoutis category. Not really a fan of these. And then I came across these cherry brown butter bars from my blove, Smitten Kitchen. She cleverly adapted the original recipe, swapping raspberries for cherries, and a fluted tart pan for a square – making the whole thing more modern, yet casual all at the same time.

cherry brown butter bars

cherry brown butter bars

And did you catch the brown butter? I like brown butter.

Cherry Brown Butter Bars
from Smitten Kitchen

(New to baking? Read my post on baking tips and tricks to get you started.)

Crust:
7 T. butter
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 t. vanilla
1 c. plus 1 T. flour
Pinch of salt

Filling:
1/2 c. butter, cut into small pieces
2 large eggs
1/2 c. sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 c.  flour
1 t. vanilla
1 pound sweet cherries, pitted (yields 12 ounces of pitted cherries – I used 30 for this recipe)**

Make the crust:
Pre-heat oven to 375. Cut parchment paper into two 8″ x 12″ sheets. Place the sheets, perpendicular to one another (so that they overlap), in an 8″ x 8″ baking pan.

Melt 7  tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Mix in the sugar and vanilla. Add the flour and salt and stir till incorporated. Transfer the dough to your prepared pan, pressing evenly across the bottom with your fingertips. Bake until golden, about 18 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool in pan (do not turn off your oven). Clean out your saucepan.

Make the filling:
Cook butter in your cleaned-out saucepan over medium heat until it turns a deep nutty brown – stir often and watch carefully to avoid burning. Immediately pour the butter into a glass measuring cup and cool slightly.

Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Continue to whisk, adding the sugar and salt. Still whisking, add the flour and vanilla. Gradually whisk in the browned butter. Arrange the pitted cherries in the bottom of the crust, in a pattern of 5 across by 6 down. Pour the browned butter mixture slowly and evenly over the cherries. Bake until filling is puffed and golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (about 40 minutes). Cool bars completely in the pan on a rack.

Using your parchment paper, carefully remove the cooled bars from the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut  into squares with a very sharp knife (according to Smitten: “The cherries, if they fall over your slicing lines, will want to give you trouble but if you saw a sharp knife into them slowly before pressing down, they’ll cut neatly and with minimum carnage”).

Store in the fridge if keeping for more than a day.

(print this recipe)


This delicious recipe brought to you by Sheri Silver
https://sherisilver.com/2012/06/26/market-cherry-brown-butter-bars/

**No cherry pitter? Read this post over at the lovely blog Cafe Johnsonia, on how to pit cherries without one!

11 Comments

  1. Greetings from Texas on June 26, 2012 at 8:04 am

    Looks so delicious!

  2. Lisa on June 26, 2012 at 4:20 pm

    Sheri, aren’t farmer’s markets just the best? We usually go on Saturdays, when they set up around the Capitol. I usually dive in with my latte in hand and love looking at (and buying) flowers/other goodies. The cherries look amazing – not to mention the cherry brown butter bars! Holy moly! Have you ever thought about opening a pâtisserie? I’d be a regular customer and would pay extra to have your treats shipped to Madison 😉

    • sherisilver on June 26, 2012 at 7:24 pm

      Love you Lisa – my DREAM is to open a bakery but the lifestyle is not one I covet at this stage. One of the driving forces behind starting this blog was to give a voice to my passion for baking and it’s been so satisfying! And now you have another reason to visit NY! 🙂

      • Lisa on June 26, 2012 at 8:45 pm

        Aw, Sheri – ditto!! And I hear you. It would be a very stressful life – I think you’ve made the perfect choice 🙂 Also, this way the whole world can benefit from it! We’re thinking about going to NYC in August – I’ll let you know, once our plans are more concrete. I’d love to meet you in person!!!

  3. Hotly Spiced on June 26, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    I have a cherry pitter too but it’s not as impressive-looking as yours. Great recipe xx

    • sherisilver on June 26, 2012 at 7:25 pm

      I have to say I’m kind of in love with it….:)

  4. Melanie on June 27, 2012 at 1:15 am

    Drew recently got Nathaniel his own cherry pitter, to be used with supervision of course. 🙂 http://www.amazon.com/Talisman-Designs-Cherry-Chomper-Pitter/dp/B001Q9EK1Y

    • sherisilver on June 27, 2012 at 10:13 am

      that is WAY cuter than my cherry pitter……..

      • Drew on June 28, 2012 at 7:47 pm

        And this looks like a really great recipe to make with Nathaniel. He pit the cherries while I brown the butter and such. I wonder though if they’ll turn into just Brown Butter Bars as I might not be able to keep him from eating all of the prep.

        • sherisilver on June 28, 2012 at 8:29 pm

          I have the same problem as Nathaniel – and not nearly as cute a cherry pitter!

  5. […] dresses and dirt, I stepped outside of my kitchen comfort zone, broke out the ruler and made Cherry Brown Butter Bars.   I had to do it,  I mean come on people … cherries, sweet pastry crust, sweet cherries, and […]

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Hi! I'm Sheri!

Welcome to my little corner of the web where you’ll find easy, delicious recipes, the best kitchen hacks and simple tips for turning your home into a clean haven that is free of toxins. So glad you’re here!