Helen’s Cheesecake Bars

Crust

2 cups white chocolate chips

6 Tablespoons of butter at room temperature

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 cups almonds, chopped

FILLING:

1pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon Amaretto

1/4 cup all purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Lightly grease a 15 inch by10 inch baking pan.

To make the crust, melt the chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and blend in the graham cracker crumbs almonds. Reserve  1 1/2 cups of the mixture for topping, and press the remaining mixture evenly into a repaired baking pan.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Meanwhile , make the filling in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese mixture.. Beat in the eggs, lemon juice and Amaretto. Beat in the flour

Pour the filling over the hot crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes longer, until lightly cooked on top and firm to the touch. Cool in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into large or small bars

**************slivered almonds can be added to the topping mixture***********optional

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