Festive Red and Green Cherry Slices
Festive Red and Green Cherry Slices have a familiar, delicious, old-fashioned Christmas cookie flavor but a new, updated holiday look.
Servings: 48 servings
Calories: 104kcal
Equipment
- hand mixer optional
- bench scraper optional for cutting bars
- nut chopper optional
- kitchen scale optional
Ingredients
- 1½ cups butter softened, divided
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar sifted
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (use only 2 cups if rolling into logs and slicing)
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup red candied cherries
- 1 cup green candied cherries
- 2 tablespoons water optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Spread 3 tablespoons softened butter on the bottom and halfway up the sides of the 13 x 9 baking dish. Set aside.
- Melt the remaining butter in the microwave (or on the stovetop). Set aside.
- Cream the softened butter and sifted confectioners' sugar together in a large bowl until creamy. Add the lightly beaten egg and vanilla. Blend to combine.
- Sift the flour and salt into the butter and sugar mixture. Blend on slow to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the chopped pecans along with the red and green cherries.
- *Note - If your feel your dough is too dry and crumbly, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of cold water until the dry bits of dough are hydrated. (see video). This step is not called for in the original recipe, but adding additional moisture will make a much needed difference in the hydration of the dough.
- Press the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the buttered baking pan from corner to corner. *Note - this will take a bit of time. Be patient with the process.
- Brush the melted butter evenly over the unbaked cookie dough.Bake in a preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or until the cookie is light golden brown in color. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, cut the cookies evenly into bars using firm, downward pushes with a bench scraper.
Video
Notes
Store cherry slice cookie bars in even layers in an airtight container at room temperature for 7 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.
Cookies may be frozen. Store in an even layer in an airtight freezer container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Unbaked cookie dough may be frozen for up to 3 months if wrapped well in plastic wrap and stored in a zip top freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and continue with the recipe as written.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.4mg
