Cherry Streusel Cheesecake Bars

By carol gorman

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 cups finely crushed shortbread cookies
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 3 pkg. (250 g each) Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese, softened, divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 can (540 mL) cherry pie filling
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Mix cookie crumbs, butter and 125 g cream cheese with mixer until blended. Reserve 1-1/4 cups crumb mixture; press remaining onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 10 min.; cool.

Beat remaining cream cheese, sugar, eggs and extract until blended. Spread over crust; top with pie filling. Combine nuts and reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over pie filling.

Bake 30 to 32 min. or until edges are lightly browned.