Cherry Cheesecake Bars win Gaffney baker $500
Brenda Watts' delicious creation one of 15 winning recipes in Betty Crocker contest
Brenda Watts of Gaffney is $500 richer for entering the Bake Life Sweeter™ recipe contest.

Almond Streusel-Cherry Cheesecake Bars won Brenda Watts of Gaffney $500 in Betty Crocker's Bake Life Sweeter™ recipe contest. In addition to the cash prize, she also won 1,000 bonus box tops to be awarded to Limestone Central Elementary School in the Box Tops for Education® program.

Her creation, Almond Streusel- Cherry Cheesecake Bars was one of 15 recipes winning prizes in a contest sponsored by Betty Crocker ® Cookie Mix.

Watts used two convenient ingredients to make this bar for her cheesecake-loving family. She said that by using cherry pie filling and Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix she can reduce preparation time. She reserves some of the cookie base to use as streusel on the creamy bars.

Among the prize-winning recipes were six cookies, six bars, two mini desserts and one familysized dessert. The winning and five honorable mention recipes can be found at BakeLifeSweeter. com/cookies.

In addition to the cash prize, Watts also won 1,000 bonus box tops to be awarded directly to a school registered in the Box Tops for Education® program she designated - Limestone Central Elementary School in Gaffney.

This is the third year the contest has been held. Amateur bakers were asked to use one of the nine Betty Crocker Cookie Mix flavors and develop their own recipes using additional ingredients, decorations and serving ideas. Entrants had to be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States during the competition.

Watts' prize winning recipe uses sugar cookie mix to makes the base of a creamy cheesecake bar with a baked-in cherry filling.

Almond Streusel-Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Cookie Base and Topping:
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker
® sugar cookie mix
1/4 cup cold butter or margarine
4 oz (half of 8-oz package) cream
cheese
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Filling:
2 1/2 packages (8 oz each) cream
cheese (20 oz), softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Gold Medal® allpurpose
flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9- inch pan with cooking spray. Place cookie mix in large bowl. Cut in butter and 4 ozs. cream cheese, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of pan. Bake 12 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat 20 ozs. cream cheese, the sugar, flour, almond extract and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.

3. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over partially baked cookie base. Spoon pie filling evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with reserved topping and almonds.

4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

High Altitude (3,500-6,500 feet): In step 1, bake cookie base 15 minutes. In step 4, bake 45 to 50 minutes.

Purchasing: You'll need a total of three 8-ounce packages of cream cheese for this recipe.

Prep Time: 45 Minutes; Start to Finish: 4 Hours; Makes: 24 bars

Nutrition Information: 1 Bar: Calories 270 (Calories from Fat 140); Total Fat 15g (Saturated Fat 8g, Trans Fat 1g); Cholesterol 55mg; Sodium 160mg; Total Carbohydrate 28g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 20g); Protein 4g; Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 4%. *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Other Carbohydrate, 3 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2.