Dollop rather than pour frangipane onto the jam so separate layers remain visible.
A true shortbread base carries cherry jam and a baked almond frangipane layer for Christmas tea.
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Cherry Bakewell Christmas Shortbread Bars Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- 8-inch square metal pan
- parchment sling
- mixer
- spatula
- skewer
- cooling rack
- sharp knife
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Prepare the base
- Prepare the base: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C) conventional or 325°F (165°C) fan. Line an 8-inch square metal pan with parchment. Beat base butter and powdered sugar briefly, stir in base flour and salt and press evenly into the pan.
Prebake
- Prebake: Bake the one-pan base 20–24 minutes until lightly golden. Cool 15 minutes on a rack before assembly.
Mix frangipane
- Mix frangipane: Beat filling butter and granulated sugar until creamy. Beat in the egg and almond extract, then almond flour and the 15 g filling flour just until combined. Spread jam thinly on the warm base. Dollop frangipane over it and spread gently without mixing into the jam. Scatter sliced almonds.
Bake again
- Bake again: Bake the filled pan 28–33 minutes until evenly golden and the almond layer is set; a skewer in the almond layer comes out without raw batter, though it may show jam. Whole-batch oven time is 24 + 33 = 57 minutes.
Cool and cut
- Cool and cut: Cool the filled pan 75 minutes on a rack, including all final pan rest. Lift and cut a 4 x 4 grid for exactly 16 bars. Cool field totals 15 + 75 = 90 minutes; no chill is required for preparation. Timing assumes both butters softened. Scale weights without changing layer depth or oven temperature.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Prebaking keeps the true shortbread layer crisp enough to support jam and almond batter.
Technique & texture
Dollop rather than pour frangipane onto the jam so separate layers remain visible.
Finishing & serving
Check the almond layer with a skewer, not the jam seam, which stays moist even when baked.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 2 hours | Up to 2 hours for serving. Serve filled bars in small batches; return to the refrigerator promptly. Reduce to 1 hour if the room is above 90°F (32°C). |
| Refrigeration | 4 days | Up to 4 days. Keep filled bars airtight at 40°F (4°C) or below. Plain shortbread needs no refrigeration; the assembled filling is why this recipe specifies chilled storage. Separate layers with parchment. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month, dough only. Freeze only the shortbread dough, well wrapped; thaw covered overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the recipe's full bake. Make fillings fresh; do not freeze raw egg custard or raw frangipane in assembled bars. |
| Baked freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze fully cooled filled bars airtight between parchment layers. For sandwiches, freezing unfilled baked halves and adding fresh filling gives a crisper crumb. Thaw filled items covered overnight in the refrigerator. |
| Restoring | 2 hours | Overnight refrigerated thaw; 10–20 minutes before serving. Thaw filled items covered in the refrigerator. Let a serving portion stand 10–20 minutes to soften, keeping the total room-temperature exposure within 2 hours. Do not oven-reheat filled items; add fresh powdered sugar or cocoa after thawing where used. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 16 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the almond layer another shortbread?
No; it is egg-containing frangipane above a separately mixed and prebaked shortbread base.
Can I use fresh cherries instead of jam?
Not in this formula; fresh fruit releases more water than the specified 100 g thick jam.
Why does a skewer show red filling?
Jam remains moist; judge whether the almond layer has raw batter rather than expecting the jam seam to become dry.
