I saw this first recipe in a Food Section article about bars, not the kind where you get a beer, but cookie bars. The gist of it was that bars are a very popular dessert in the summer.

I needed something to take to a meeting, so made it. Turned out it wasn't bars, it was more of a coffee cake with crumb topping in a 9 by 13 inch pan. I told Mr. Kitchentales: "I don't want a big coffee cake, I needed bars." So I had to make something else. But as coffee cakes go, it was very good. With all that butter in the recipe, it had better be good.

Fresh Cherry Crumble Cake

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (see below)
4 eggs
14 ounces pitted pie cherries, drained
For crumble topping:
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

To prepare batter: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, granulated sugar and vanilla sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Fold flour mixture into butter mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and distribute cherries evenly over batter.
To prepare crumble topping: In a medium bowl, combine 10 tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 cups flour and brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut until mixture resembles coarse meal (alternately, combine in a food processor and pulse a few times until mixture resembles coarse meal). Distribute topping evenly over cherries. Bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer pan to a wire rack and cool.
To make vanilla sugar: Bury a vanilla bean in granulated sugar for about a week, then remove vanilla bean (bean can be re-used). The vanilla gives it a nice fragrance and flavor. No time to make before baking? Just sub regular sugar and use the vanilla sugar another time.

These are some of the best bars I've ever had. Be sure not to overbake.


Chewy Cranberry Bars

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dried cranberries, soaked in 1/4 cup hot water*
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 inch pan. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In a second bowl, cream butter and sugars; add eggs one at a time, beating until fluffy; stir in vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread in greased pan and bake 30 minutes - should still be moist in the center. When cool, cut into bars.

*I soaked the dried cranberries in vanilla-flavored vodka.