Strawberry Christmas Squares

I have a friend who makes bars she calls Strawberry Squares. I thought they sounded delicious so I got the recipe from her last summer but time got away from me and I never got them made. It has all the ingredients I love, from a brown sugar and flour crust (my favorite part of any bar!) to all fruit jam and almonds! Yum! Yet... this summer was a whirlwind and before I knew it Fall, Thanksgiving and now Christmas are here. When I saw this recipe in my files today I decided to type it out here to save for future reference. I think the red in the jam would make a beautiful Christmas bar. Don't you?



Strawberry Squares

2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup of chopped almonds
3/4 cup of butter

Combine all ingredients and mix till crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup for the top and press the remainder into a 8" square baking pan. Bake at 350 for about 12-15 minutes.



2-8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2tsp almond extract
1 cup of strawberry jam
3/4 cup sliced almonds

Beat the cream cheese,sugar, eggs and almond extract on medium speed till smooth. Spread evenly over the hot crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir the jam till smooth then spread it over the filling. Add the almonds to the reserved topping. Sprinkle over the jam and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes and chill for at least 3 hours before serving.