Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

With Father's Day on Sunday, I have been planning my menu. I am going to serve Melissa's french dip beef sandwiches (we can't wait to try them!!), broccoli salad, and THESE for dessert. They sound absolutely scrumptious! And they have to chill for at least 8 hours, so I can make them the day before and not have to worry about them on Sunday. If you know anything about Gerald, you know he loves raspberries. So, I am going to substitute raspberry pie filling instead of strawberry, but leave everything else the same. I'm drooling already!

1 16 oz. package Pecan Sandies Cookies, divided

1 1/2 T. butter, melted

11 oz. cream cheese, softened (not low-fat)

2 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

pinch salt

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 c. sour cream

1 1/2 c. strawberry sauce, homemade jam, bottled strawberry topping or canned strawberry pie filling

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a food processor, process 3/4 of the Pecan Sandies (reserve 6 cookies). Mix with melted butter and lightly press onto the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract, and sour cream. Beat on high for 4-5 minutes. Spread half of the cheesecake batter into the pan.

Pour 3/4 cup of the strawberry sauce over the batter, spreading gently to cover the surface. It doesn't have to be perfect. Spread remaining cheesecake batter over the strawberry layer and then spoon remaining 1/2 c. of strawberry sauce over the batter. Being careful not to cut into the surface of the cookie crust, swirl the strawberry mixture with a butter knife. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until center if jiggly but not liquid. While baking, process the remaining 6 cookies. During the last 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle the cookies on top of the cheesecake. Chill for at least 8 hours and then cut into squares. If desired, drizzle remaining strawberry sauce over each individual square and serve.

From Our Best Bites cookbook