Almond Cheesecake Bars

Yummy shortbread cheesecake bars

We always have a family gathering for Memorial Day at my mom’s house. Every year I bring some bars to share and every year I bring the same bars. But this year I broke out of my rut and brought something new.

One of my favorite things in the world to eat when it comes to sweets is chocolate, but I am always making chocolate something or other and at the gatherings at my mom’s house it seems there are always a lot of chocolate goodies. Another thing that comes close to chocolate is shortbread. I love that crumbly sweet texture of the shortbread; it makes me hungry just thinking about it.

The bars that I brought had a shortbread crust with a cheesecake filling that was flavored with almond extract, another thing that I love. The cheesecake filling is topped off with an almond flavored frosting and then I opted to drizzle a little white chocolate over the frosting. Who would not love these bars?

The bars were a hit; I am not sure how many times I was told how yummy these bars were. If you love shortbread… if you love cheesecake… if you love almond flavor… you really must try these bars.

Almond Cheesecake Bars (Source: Taste of Home)
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Filling:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
Frosting:
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 to 5 teaspoons mild
1/2 cup melted white chocolate (optional)
Directions:
1 Combine the flour, butter, and confectioners’ sugar; press into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 to 25 minutes or until gold brown.
2. For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and extract until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and beat on low until just combined. Pour over crust and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack.
3. Combine the frosting ingredients until smooth; spread over cooled bars.
4. If desired drizzle bars with melted white chocolate. You can use white chocolate chips, but be sure to melt them slowly or they will cease up and it will be too thick to drizzle.
5. Store the bars in the refrigerator.