Raspberry Cream Cheese Bars

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the crackers, about 7 at a time in a blender and grind them to crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a mixing bowl. Repeat until all the crackers are ground up.

2. Heat the butter up in a microwave (about 30 seconds) until it's liquid. Then pour it over the crackers and use a whisk to mix in the Splenda Brown Sugar Blend.

3. Take 1 3/4 cups of the cracker mixture and press it firmly into the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking pan. Set the rest of the cracker mixture aside.

4. In a blender or food processor, mix together the eggs, buttermilk, cottage cheese, Splenda, protein powder and cream cheese. Once it's thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes, pour it over the cracker crust.

5. Heat the raspberry preserves in a microwave about 1 minute or on the stove until it gets fluid. Mix in the 1 tablespoon Splenda. Then carefully drizzle it evenly over the top of the cream cheese mixture.

6. Stir the almonds into the remaining cracker mixture and then sprinkle it evenly over the top of the cream cheese mixture.

7. Put the baking pan into a shallow roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with about 1/2 inch of water. As the cheesecake bakes, the water in the roasting pan will help keep it moist. Bake for 1 hour or until the center is set and the top is golden brown.

8. Remove from the oven and let it cool at room temperature for about 45 minutes. Then refrigerate for 3 hours until it's chilled.

9. Cut into 12 bars and serve. If you're storing the bars for later, make sure they're in a tightly sealed container so they don't dry out.

Yield: 12 Servings