Lemon Cheesecake Bars
A shortbread crust, a lemon cheesecake filling that bakes lighter than you would expect from cream cheese, and a smooth lemon curd poured over the top while still warm. The next day, once everything has set and the colors have separated cleanly, each bar shows all three layers in the cut; pale gold crust, white cheesecake, and vivid yellow curd.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 4.5 ounce all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2.8 ounce butter room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the cheesecake
- 8 ounces cream cheese low fat
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 egg
For the lemon curd
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ounce butter
Instructions
The crust
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- With a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes or so.
- Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until the mixture is clumping together in small crumbles.
- Spread crumble in a 6x6 baking dish lined with parchment paper and use a small cup or a spoon to press the crumble into an even layer across the bottom.
- Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the crust is barely golden.
The cheesecake
- Combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and zest and process until smooth.
- Add the egg and process again until smooth.
- Pour cheesecake onto the slightly cooled crust and bake it until sides are slightly puffed and center is dry to the touch. This will take about 35 minutes.
The lemon curd
- Whisk lemon juice, sugar and eggs until thoroughly combined and most of the sugar has dissolved. Pour lemon mixture in a saucepan.
- Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly until the curd is steaming but not boiling and registers about 170°F or the lemon curd has thickened enough it leaves a path on the back of a spoon.
- Take the curd off the heat, add the butter, and stir until the butter has melted. Pour the curd through the strainer if you need to get rid of any lumps.
- When the cheesecake comes out of the oven, pour all the curd onto the cheesecake while it is still warm. Use an offset spatula to spread evenly.
- Cool at room temperature, and then refrigerate (uncovered) overnight or at least 5 hours.
Nutrition
Calories: 351kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 5gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 243mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 28g