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Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Source of Recipe

From "Back Around the Table" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"A dose of lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon curd gives this sweet confection just the right amount of pucker. A delicate, buttery crust is topped with a bit of tartness from the smooth filling and then finished with some whipped topping and sprinkle of fine lemon zest. Plan ahead, because these bars need to be refrigerated overnight. One of my favorite ways to serve these treats is chilled right from the refrigerator, making them a refreshing summertime dessert."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ Vegetable oil spray

Crust:
â—¦ 2 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ â…› teaspoon table salt
â—¦ 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
â—¦ â…” cup sugar

Filling:
â—¦ 1 packet plus ¼ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
â—¦ 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
â—¦ ½ cup sugar
â—¦ 1 cup boiling water
â—¦ 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
â—¦ 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
â—¦ 2 tablespoons heavy cream
â—¦ 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
â—¦ 1 11-ounce jar lemon curd
â—¦ Whipped topping, such as Reddi-Whip
â—¦ Finely chopped zest of 1 lemon


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray, then line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper. Bring the parchment paper up the edges and just over the sides of the pan. This will make it easy for you to remove the bars and then easily cut them.

To make the crust, whisk together the flour and salt in a bowl.
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Put the dough into the prepared baking pan and, using your fingers, evenly press the dough into the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown in color.

While the crust is baking, make the filling.
Whisk together the gelatin, lemon juice, sugar, and boiling water in a bowl. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Combine the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, cream, lemon zest, and ½ cup of the lemon curd in the bowl of a standing mixer on low speed. Gradually add the gelatin mixture to the mixer bowl, increasing the speed to medium to combine well.

Using the back of a spoon, evenly spread the remaining lemon curd onto the baked crust. Let rest for 5 minutes. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture over the lemon curd in the baking pan. Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Once the lemon bars are set, hold the sides of the parchment paper and lift it out of the baking pan. Cut into 15 to 20 large bars or 30 to 40 mini bars. To serve, top with a dollop of whipped topping and some grated lemon zest.

Makes 15 to 20 large bars
or 30 to 40 mini bars