You know the saying “Baseball, not-dogs, apple pie, and lemonade”? Not in Tami’s family. Mouth- puckering sour cherry pie is the family favorite. Making pies is a labor of love, but sometimes cutting corners can be a good thing. This quick bar cookie version is lower in fat than a typical double crust pie, but still delivers on taste.
Ingredients
For Filling
- 1 can (141⁄2 ounces, or 451 g) pitted red tart cherries, drained
- 2 tablespoons (20 g) coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) instant tapioca, such as Let’s Do…Organic
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) Sucanat
- 3⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄2 teaspoon almond extract
For Crust
- 1⁄2 cup (60 g) almonds or almond meal
- 3⁄4 cup (90 g) whole wheat pastry flour
- 3⁄4 cup (68 g) oat flour
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) barley flour
- 3 tablespoons (21 g) finely ground cornmeal
- 1⁄4 cup (40 g) coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) Sucanat
- 1 tablespoon (7 g) flax meal
- 1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) neutral-flavored oil
- 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) vegan milk, more if needed
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5). Lightly coat an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with cooking spray. To make the Filling
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until bubbly and thickened to a jam consistency. Set aside while making the crust. The tapioca will still be visible, but will disappear when the bars are cool. To make the Crust
- Put the almonds in a food processor and process until powdered. Add the flours, cornmeal, sugars, flax meal, and salt. Process until well combined. Drizzle in the oil and process the mixture into crumbs. Drizzle in the milk, as needed, to make a cohesive crust that can be pinched together. Process until the crust forms a ball and clears the sides of the food processor bowl.
- Remove a generous 1⁄2 cup (145 g) of dough. Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough into a 5 x 9-inch (13 x 23 cm) rectangle. Use a rotary cookie cutter with a scalloped edge to cut the rectangle into 5 strips measuring 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide and 9-inches (23 cm) long. Press the remaining dough thinly and evenly into the prepared pan. Press the dough up the sides of the pan about 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm). Spread the cherry filling evenly over the dough. Top with the strips, laying 3 strips evenly across the dough, then laying the remaining 2 strips perpendicular. Lightly press the ends of the strips onto the rimmed edge of the dough on the bottom layer.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes before cutting into 12 bars 2 x 22⁄3 inches (5 x 6.8 cm).