Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Crumb Bars

About to go in the oven

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Crumble Bars

YUM!

These were so delicious. A delectable Summer dessert treat! Check out the recipe below.
Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar

Filling:

12 ounces (1.5 packages) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons, grated
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs
1 pint blueberries

Crumb Topping:

1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds, toasted
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang to lift bars out. Spray foil thoroughly with cooking spray.

For the crust, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined. The mixture will be crumbly; that's how it's supposed to look! Press mixture firmly into the bottom of a prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

For the filling, beat together cream cheese and sugar on medium speed in a medium sized bowl. Add in lemon zest, lemon juice, and almond extract, and beat thoroughly to combine. Beat in the eggs until combined (about 1 minute).  Pour the filling over the top of the crust, and sprinkle with blueberries. Return pan to oven, and bake for 20 minutes.

To make the topping, combine the brown sugar, flour, toasted almonds, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Stir together until mixed. Knead in pieces of butter using a fork. Take the crumble mixture you just made, and pack it into two or three balls. Crumble the ball into pieces over the pan. This way, chunks will stay together and you will get the perfect crumble texture. Sprinkle the crumbles over the cheesecake layer. Return pan to oven, and bake an additional 20 minutes. Cool for an hour before lightly covering and chilling in the fridge for 2 hours.