Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

With the paddle attachment of stand-type mixer, beat the butter until it begins to soften. Add the confectioners' sugar and the extracts. Beat in the egg yolks and egg. Add the flour and cocoa and continue beating until combined.

Press the dough into 9 x 13-inch baking pan with your hand until it is of uniform depth across the bottom of the pan.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Make the filling while the crust is baking.

Filling:
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and extracts together until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once. Add the eggs and beat at low speed until just combined.

Spread the filling over the hot crust. Bake for another 30 minutes or until the center of the filling is just firm.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Spread the pie filling over the cream cheese filling after it has cooled.