Cheesecake is a custard that may seem intimidating to make from scratch, but it can easily be made at home! These bars have a tangy smooth filling with lemon zest in both the filling and the crust which results in a refreshing subtle lemon flavor.
Let’s talk about the crust for a minute. It is ALL about the crust, right? The first thing you probably think about is graham cracker crust. There is nothing wrong with a graham cracker crust, but the shortbread crust is outstanding. Trust me! It is an excellent choice for the base of these bars.
Recipe Source: Adapted family cheesecake recipe. Original source unknown.
Thick and velvety New York Style lemon cheesecake bars with a shortbread crust. The light lemon flavor is perfect for a spring or summer day.
Crust Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
Crust
Filling
Bake
Makes twenty four bars.
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Below you will find tips and tricks to help achieve the best results possible!
Cream cheese – it is important to use cream cheese at room temperature so that the cheesecake filling will mix up nice and smooth. Cold cream cheese will cause the filling to be chunky.
Lemon zest – contains essential oils and more lemon flavor without being too tart. Avoid adding the bitter pith (the white part underneath the peel).
Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice has a brighter flavor compared to bottled juice. Freshly squeezed juice is recommended.
Stand mixer or hand mixer
9 x 13 baking pan lined with parchment paper
Pastry blender or fork
Food processor, optional
Lining the baking pan with parchment paper makes it easier to remove the cheesecake from the pan.
Press the crust into the pan with the back of a floured spoon or bottom of a floured measuring cup. Pressing with your fingers also works well.
If you don’t have a pastry blender, you can cut in the butter with a fork by squishing the butter through the fork tines.
One of my favorite tips is to make flavored sugar. This extra step is optional. Place the lemon zest and sugar required for the cheesecake filling and pulse together in the food processor with flour and salt. This step infuses the sugar with lemon oil from the zest. If you skip this step, you can simply stir together the sugar, zest, flour, and salt.
Chill the cheesecake thoroughly to get a dense but smooth texture.
You can use graham cracker crust if you prefer. I have also used lemon cookies to make a cookie crust.
Top cheesecake bars with lemon glaze or lemon curd if you want a stronger punch of lemon flavor. Lemon whipped cream would also be enjoyable.
You can also up the flavor by using a small amount of lemon extract in the filling, but don't use too much or it will taste artificial.
Store bars in the refrigerator. Cheesecake bars can also be frozen.
Review
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