Whenever Mack and I have some time alone, the first thing he asks to do is make cookies. We have a steady supply of homemade chocolate chip cookies thanks to his enthusiasm, so when he asked to bake on Friday I thought it would be fun to try something different. A sneaky jar of homemade cherry preserves I canned last summer was hiding in the pantry – it was time to put it to use.
Mack was a good little sous chef as we prepared some simple shortbread bars. I love creating recipes that he can easily help prepare.
Once the cherry cardamom bars cooled, we packed up a few for my wonderful grandparents who live nearby. I left the box with their doorman so they would have a special after-dinner treat waiting for them!
Cherry Cardamom Shortbread Bars
1 3/4 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 sticks cold butter, cut into cubes
Half pint (8 oz) cherry preserves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar and cardamom. Drop butter cubes in and work butter into flour using your hands. Once the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, set aside 1/4 cup of it. Pour the rest into a 9″ square baking pan. Press dough into the pan.
Put the pan in the oven and bake until its starting to turn golden, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Pour preserves on the crust and sprinkle with reserved dough.
Bake for another 15 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.
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Is one of the flour measurements supposed to be sugar?
Whoops! Just corrected it. Thanks!
My little guy loves to help in the kitchen, too. He states, “B helping!” and pulls a chair over from the dining room so he can stand at the counter. He’s not quite two yet, so the helpfulness of his helping is far outweighed by his enthusiasm, but I love it.
These look yummy. I’ll have to try it, although we don’t have any homemade cherry preserves to go with it!
I’ve never made shortbread bars of any kind. I wonder if it works with rice flour? They look so easy!
I’ve never tried them with rice flour, but its worth a shot. Shortbread is very forgiving and easy. Let me know how it goes!