Cardamom Cheesecake Bars

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Two favorite flavors--cardamom & cheesecake---what's not to love? a batch of these would make a nice mother's day gift, tied with a satin ribbon (and don't forget the card). From the newspaper, adapted from mccormick & co.

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Steps

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

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In a bowl , combine graham cracker crumbs and butter.

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Press firmly into a foil-lined 9-inch square pan.

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In a bowl , beat the cream cheese , sugar , cardamom and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

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Pour over the crust.

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For the streusel topping:.

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Mix flour , oats and brown sugar in a small bowl.

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Stir in cardamom.

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With two knives or a pastry blender , cut in butter until coarse crumbs form.

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Stir in sliced almonds.

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Sprinkle streusel topping over cheesecake mixture.

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Bake 45 minutes , or until center is almost set and topping is golden brown.

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Cool on a wire rack.

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Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

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Cut into bars.

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Store leftover bars in the refrigerator.

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Ingredients

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graham cracker crumbs, butter, cream cheese, sugar, ground cardamom, vanilla extract, eggs, flour, quick oats, brown sugar, sliced almonds