Preheat oven and prepare pan:

• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease or line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper for easy removal.

Prepare the crust and topping:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or your hands to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until just combined. The dough should be crumbly but hold together when pressed.

Press the dough into the pan:

• Press about 2/3 of the dough mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form the base crust. Use a spatula to smooth it out.

Make the cherry filling:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens (about 5-7 minutes).
• Once the filling is thickened and bubbly, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly.

Assemble the bars:

• Spread the cherry filling evenly over the prepared crust.
• Crumble the remaining dough over the cherry filling to create a crumbly topping.

Bake:

• Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cherry filling is bubbling.
• Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

Serve and enjoy:

• Once the bars are cooled, slice them into squares or rectangles. Enjoy as is, or dust with powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness.