Cherry Garcia Bars

Preheat your oven to 375 F. Line a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with parchment paper, letting the paper come up and hang over the sides.

Take the 3/4 cup melted butter and mix with 2/3 cup white sugar and the vanilla bean caviar in a medium bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix with a spatula until combined. Dump the dough into the prepared baking pan and press into shape using your fingers.

Bake the shortbread crust for 17-19 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Remove from oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Keep the oven on.

Meanwhile, toss the cherries with a tablespoon of all-purpose flour. Set aside.

Dice the remaining cup of butter and place in a small heavy-bottomed pot. Heat over medium for 6 minutes, stirring constantly. The butter will foam, turn clear, and then turn a golden brown color. Remove from heat and pour into a glass liquid measuring cup. (Don’t be like me and pour it into a drinking glass without a handle and then burn yourself trying to pick it up.)

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a regular bowl and hand mixer), use the whisk attachment to combine the sugar, eggs, and salt. Add half of the flour, then the bourbon, the rest of the flour, and the vanilla bean caviar.

Once smooth, slowly pour in the browned butter with the mixer running to incorporate into the mixture.

Arrange your cherries and chocolate on top of the cooled shortbread crust. Pour the filling mixture evenly over the top. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 28-32 minutes, or until the top has turned golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove pan from oven and set on a rack. Cool for fifteen minutes in the pan, then use the parchment paper to remove the bars from the pan and place on a rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, use a serrated knife (bread knife works great) to cut the bars. Store bars in the fridge if you don’t consume them all within 24 hours.