Raspberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

Keep reading for the complete recipe! ^_^

***Credits to: chocolate moosey***

INGREDIENTS

Raspberry Filling

• 1/4 c. water
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 3 1/2 c. fresh Raspberries 
  (or any other berry/fruit you'd prefer!)

Base

• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 12 tablespoons
• 1 egg

Cheesecake

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.
   Make the raspberry filling
2. In a large saucepan, combine water, juice, sugar, and cornstarch. 
3. Stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. 
4. Once it bubbles, cook for another 2 minutes, constantly stirring. 
5. Remove from heat and gently stir in the raspberries. 
6. Cool while making the base and cheesecake.
   Make the base
7. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt. 
8. With a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter until the pieces look like pebbles then cut in the egg. Dough will be crumbly. 
9. Reserve 1/2 cup for topping and pat the rest into the bottom of the pan.
   Make the cheesecake
10.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. 
11. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and lemon juice. 
12. Pour over the base layer. 
13. Top with the raspberry filling then top with the reserved 1/2 cup of topping.
14. Bake 38-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown, the edges pull away from the pan sides,and the center slightly wiggles when given a gentle shake. 
    Cool completely before cutting into 12 bars.
    Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week.