Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking pan with tin foil, letting the foil hang over the edges of the side so they can act as handles to help remove the bars. Spray the foil lightly with cooking spray and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until creamy and light, about 2 minutes. Add the baking powder and beat for another few seconds.

Add the egg and almond extract and whip until combined, scraping down the sides as needed.

Beat in the flour, oat and almonds, until combined.

Scoop out 1/2 cup of the dough and set aside. Press the rest of the dough evenly into the prepared pan and then spread the cherry preserves evenly across the dough. Sprinkle the remaining dough in small chunks over the preserves.

Bake until the top is golden-brown, about 30-35 minutes. Cool fully in the pan, then use the foil handles to remove the bars from the pan.

Cut into 12-16 squares and serve.