Almond Cheesecake Bars

I lined a 13x9 pan with aluminum foil before baking these bars (didn't have any parchment paper). After baking and cooling, they lifted out perfectly and were easy to cut in to squares.

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CRUST:

1 3/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

1 cup finely chopped almonds

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

6 T. butter, melted

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Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 13x9 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, letting edges extend out over the pan. In a small bowl mix vanilla wafer crumbs, chopped almonds and brown sugar. Stir in butter and mix well. Press evenly in to the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes.

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FILLING:

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

2 T. almond liqueur (or 1 tsp. almond extract)

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In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in sour cream and almond flavoring. Pour over baked crust and return to oven. Bake for an additional 40-45 minutes.

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TOPPING:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

1 cup sliced, toasted almonds

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Drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the cheesecake and sprinkle with chopped almonds.