Cherry and almond flavors are a natural combination. This is an easy recipe you can make with either fresh or frozen cherries as we head into the holiday swing.

Ingredients

Base:
175g unsalted butter, at room temperature
60g icing sugar
2ml salt
360g all-purpose flour

Frangipane Filling:
115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g granulated sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
25 ml whole milk
5 ml almond essence
100g ground almonds
45g all-purpose flour
1 ml salt

Cherry Filling:
500g pitted cherries (if using frozen, thaw them first)
50g granulated sugar
15 ml cornstarch
15 ml cold water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line bottom and sides of 9 by 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, beat butter, icing sugar and salt until creamy. Stir in flour until combined. Press into prepared baking dish; prick with a fork all over. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden; place on a rack to cool. Leave oven on.

In a medium bowl and using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until creamy. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so all of the butter/sugar mixture is well incorporated.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in milk and almond essence until combined then beat in ground almonds. Stir in flour and salt until well mixed.

Mix together the sugar and cornstarch. Toss the sugar and cornstarch mixture with the cherries and stir in the water. Spread evenly over top of the cooled base.

Spread the almond mixture over top of the cherry mixture. Using a rubber spatula, smooth the top. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Bake in the centre of oven for about 30-35 minutes or until golden and a cake tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack.

Carefully lift the cherry almond square out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut lengthwise into 4 strips, and then cut each strip crosswise into 4 squares.

This recipe yields approximately 16 (5 by 5cm) squares.

Note: The recipes on this site are my original creations or have been adapted from existing recipes with the original sources attributed. All recipes on this site have been tested at least once in my kitchen. Any and all errors are entirely mine.

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