Cranberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

Yields: 16–20 bars

Ingredients-

For the Crumb Crust and Topping:
(You’ll use this mixture for both the base and the crumble topping.)

• 3 ½ cups (438 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cup (125 g) old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cup (280 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cheesecake Filling:

• 32 oz (800 g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• Zest of 1 orange or 2 clementine’s
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup (120 g) sour cream or Greek yogurt

For the Cranberry Layer:

• 1½ cups (170 g) fresh or frozen (not-thawed) cranberries
• ~1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch

For the Decoration:

• ~¼ cup (40g) white chocolate chips, melted

Directions-

1. Start by making the crumb crust/topping. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). 
2. Grease a 9x13 pan with baking spray or softened butter.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Add the melted butter and vanilla and stir until evenly moistened and crumbly. If the mixture seems too wet, add a little more flour. 
5. Press about two-thirds of the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan for the crust. Reserve the remaining third for the topping (about 1 cup).
6. Bake the crust for 18-20 minutes until golden while you make the cheesecake filling. Let cool.
7. For the cheesecake filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla and orange zest followed by the sour cream. 
8. Pour into the pre-baked crust and smooth the top. 
9. Toss the cranberries with the flour or cornstarch until evenly coated. Sprinkle over the top.
10. Then sprinkle on the reserved crumb mixture.
11. Bake at 325F/160C for 40-45 minutes until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly. 
12. Cool completely on a rack, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
13. To decorate, drizzle melted white chocolate over the top.

Notes-

• This is a great make ahead no-stress cheesecake recipe!
  
• Lasts 5 days in the fridge.

Recipe by Molly J. Wilkinson of @MollyJWilk