Cherry Danish Bars

Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day. I love it because you can chose to have something sweet, savory, or both! Most mornings I make myself a smoothie or munch on granola bar with a cup of coffee. Nothing too special or earth shattering, but it gets the job done.

Sometimes though, you have to switch things up. And that is just what I did for breakfast the other morning!

Cherry Danish Bars

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon fiori di Sicilia
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 (21oz.) cans cherry pie filling

Vanilla Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk


Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then grease a 15x10x1 inch baking sheet and set aside.

In a standard mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and salt until fluffy. Then add one egg at a time, making sure to beat in well before adding the next one. Mix in the vanilla bean paste and fiori di Sicilia. Lastly, add two cups of flour and baking powder until no traces of flour remain. It will resemble a thick cake batter consistency.

Take 2 ½ cups of the batter and spread out evenly with a large offset spatula onto the greased baking sheet. If the batter is sticking to the spatula, spray the back of it with a little cooking oil.

Follow by spreading the 2 cans of cherry pie filling over the batter. Drop the remaining batter by the spoonful over the cherry filling and bake til golden brown for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the baking sheet cools on a wire rack, start making the vanilla glaze. In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk, then whisk until smooth. Drizzle the vanilla glaze over the top of the bars and allow to set. Using a knife, cut the Danish into bars and serve! 

The cake-like bottom layer and top is so moist and full of vanilla citrus flavor from the addition of the fiori di Sicilia. It really elevates the Danish and pairs so well with the cherry filling and sweetness of the glaze. This is definitely the perfect treat to make for a lazy weekend morning breakfast!

Source

Slightly adapted from Inspired By Charm