🍰 Christmas Cherry Cheesecake Bars 🎄🍰

Whip up a batch of these delightful Christmas Cherry Cheesecake Bars to bring a touch of holiday cheer to your family gatherings or office potlucks. Quick to prepare and irresistibly delicious, these bars are a perfect blend of creamy cheesecake and tangy cherry pie filling, topped with a crunchy almond crumble.

🍽️ Ingredients 🍽️
- Cherry Pie Filling: ½ can
- Vanilla Extract: ½ teaspoon
- Softened Cream Cheese: 8 ounces
- Granulated Sugar: ¼ cup
- All-Purpose Flour: 1 tablespoon
- Egg: 1 large
- Sugar Cookie Mix: 8.5 ounces
- Cold Unsalted Butter: 4 tablespoons
- Toasted Sliced Almonds: ⅓ cup

🧑‍🍳 Directions 🧑‍🍳
1. Prepare Baking Pan: Start by heating your oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch or 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, ensuring you coat it with non-stick spray.
2. Make the Crust: In a large bowl, blend the sugar cookie mix with cold butter using a pastry blender until crumbly. Reserve about ¾ cup of this mixture for later. Firmly press the remaining mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes and then allow to cool slightly; it should still appear a bit underdone.
3. Prepare Cheesecake Layer: While your crust is cooling, whisk together the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and egg in a separate bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
4. Assemble Layers: Evenly spread the cheesecake mixture over the cooled crust. Carefully layer on the cherry pie filling to cover the cheesecake.
5. Add Topping: Combine the reserved crumbly cookie mixture with the toasted almonds. Sprinkle this over the cherry layer.
6. Final Bake: Place the pan back in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes if using an 8x8 pan, or 45 minutes for a 9x13 pan, until the top is lightly golden.
7. Cool and Store: Let the bars cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then refrigerate for a few hours. Keep the bars stored in the refrigerator, covered.

🍎 Nutritional Information 🍎
- Calories: 320 per serving
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Protein: 5g
- Fat: 16g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
- Sodium: 220mg

💡 Tips and Tricks 💡
- For an extra festive touch, sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the top of the bars before serving.
- If you prefer a crunchier base, bake the crust for an additional 5 minutes before adding the cheesecake layer.

⏳ Preparation time ⏳
Preparation time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 50 minutes | Serving: 12