Lemon Cheesecake Bars With Shortbread Crust

[leilani]

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Prep35 minutes
Chilling Time3 hours
Cook1 hourTotal
4 hours 35 minutes





Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

▢1 cup all-purpose flour

▢¼ cup cornstarch

▢¼ cup granulated sugar

▢½ cup butter (unsalted)

▢½ teaspoon salt

▢2 tablespoon lemon zest (freshly grated)

Cheesecake Layer

▢24 ounce cream cheese (3 packages, softened)

▢3 large eggs

▢1 cup granulated sugar

▢½ cup sour cream

▢2 teaspoon vanilla extract

▢¼ teaspoon salt

Lemon Layer

▢1½ cups lemon curd




Instructions

Prep: Preheat your oven to350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray then line it with parchment paper, but with the parchment paper hanging off the sides to make it easy to lift out bars.


Make Crust: Add all the crust ingredients to a food processor and pulse a few times until mixture resembles a dry coarse meal.


Bake Crust: Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared baking dish and press it down evenly into the bottom. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.


Make Cheesecake Layer: Using a hand mixer, mix the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla and salt, and continue to mix until the batter is well combined and smooth.


Bake The Cheesecake: Pour the cheesecake batter over the baked crust and bake for 45 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake has browned slightly. Set the cheesecake aside until it fully cools down.


Add Lemon Curd: Pour the lemon curd over the cooled cheesecake and spread it evenly with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until the cheesecake and lemon curd layers set.


Cut & Serve: Carefully lift the cheesecake out of the pan and slice it into your desired size bars. I cut it 4 x 6, making 24 bars.


Notes

Instead of shortbread, you can make a graham cracker crust.
These little bars will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just store in an airtight container or wrap them up tightly before popping them in.

To Freeze: Place the bars fully cooled and uncovered on a pan in the freezer and allow to freeze entirely. Remove them and wrap fully in plastic wrap and aluminum foil till ready to eat. This method will ensure the lemon cheesecake bars will last 3 months.


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