Raspberry-Almond Cheesecake Bars (ATK)

• portions: 24 bars

Ingrédients

Crust

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

Filling

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

¾ cup seedless raspberry preserves

Instructions

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 13 by 9-inch baking pan (see note on page 4). Combine flour, sugars, almonds, and salt in food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

2. For the filling: With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and extracts until incorporated, about 1 minute.

3. Spread preserves over cooled crust, leaving ½-inch border around edge. Dollop tablespoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over jam and spread into even layer.

4. Bake until slightly puffed, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Notes

Cynthia writes: "I first made these bars for a family dinner, but now I get requests to bring them to other functions."

Note: For all bar cookies, spray baking pan with cooking spray and line with aluminum foil, allowing excess to overhang pan edges. Spray foil with cooking spray. Once bar cookies have been baked and cooled, use foil overhang to lift bars from pan. (All bar cookies can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Cooks country 2007 June/ July