Cherry Bars

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line a 20cm square / 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Step 2

Note: I use a cherry pitter to take the stones out of cherries. It’s an inexpensive gadget that makes it super quick to pit them. If you don’t have one, you can use a paperclip to hook them out, a metal straw to push them out or a piping nozel will work too.

Step 3

Add the cherries to a pan over a medium/low heat. Stir the cornstarch into 1 tsp of the orange juice to make a slurry and stir into the cherries along with the remaining orange juice. Heat for 5 minutes or until thick. Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 4

In a mixing bowl, stir together the oats, flour, sugar and salt. Pour in the melted coconut oil and almond extract and rub it together gently to make a crumbly dough.

Step 5

Press half of the flour mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, into an even layer.

Step 6

Spread the cherries onto the base, then cover with the remaining flour mixture and sprinkle the almonds onto the top.

Step 7

Bake for 35 minutes or until the topping begins to turn golden. Allow to cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.