1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure your bars bake evenly.
2. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl, mixing thoroughly.
3. Add soft, cubed butter into the dry ingredients and blend using a pastry cutter or your hands until a crumbly texture forms.
4. Stir in eggs, vanilla, and almond extract to the mixture until it becomes cohesive and crumbly.
5. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and press slightly more than half of the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form the crust.
6. Par-bake the crust for 10-20 minutes until it sets and turns slightly golden.
7. Prepare your cherries by halving and pitting fresh or frozen ones, or use a high-quality canned cherry pie filling.
8. Adjust the sweetness of the cherries or filling if needed by either reducing or adding sugar based on taste preference.
9. For a homemade filling, cook cherries with sugar, cornstarch, and a touch of water in a saucepan over medium heat until thickened.
10. Spread the prepared or canned cherry filling evenly over the partially baked crust.
11. Crumble the remaining dough mixture over the top of the cherry filling evenly, leaving some gaps for the cherries to show through.
12. Bake the assembled bars in the oven for 40-50 minutes, watching for a golden, lightly browned topping as an indicator they are done.
13. Let the cherry pie bars cool completely in the pan to ensure they firm up and hold their shape when cut.
14. Prepare an optional glaze by mixing powdered sugar, milk, and either almond or vanilla extract to your desired consistency.
15. Drizzle the glaze over fully cooled bars for an extra layer of sweetness.
16. Slice the bars into individual servings once cooled and firm.
17. Serve alone or pair with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for added indulgence.
18. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months for later use.