Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Line your 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on the sides. This makes it easy to lift the bars out once they’re baked.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter (or your fingers) to work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. This step is key to achieving that buttery, crumbly texture!

Next, beat the egg with the almond extract in a small bowl. Pour this into the crumb mixture and stir until everything is just combined. The dough should still be crumbly but hold together when pinched.

Take about two-thirds of the crumb mixture and press it firmly into the bottom of your prepared baking dish. This will form the crust. Make sure it’s even and packed down well so it holds up when you cut the bars.

In a medium bowl, toss the pitted cherries with the granulated sugar and cornstarch. The cornstarch helps thicken the filling as it bakes, so don’t skip it! Spread the cherry mixture evenly over the crust.

Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the cherries. If you’re using sliced almonds, scatter them on top for a little extra crunch and a beautiful finish.

Bake the bars in your preheated oven for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cherries are bubbling. Your kitchen will smell absolutely divine!

Once baked, let the bars cool completely in the pan. This is the hardest part, but it’s worth it to ensure neat slices.

Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut them into 12 squares or rectangles, and they’re ready to serve!