Lemony Cheesecake Squares Food

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, oats and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Press dough into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Spread with jam., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth. Beat in lemon juice and zest. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Carefully spoon over jam. , Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

GLUTEN-FREE LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚. Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse the cashews until they become a fine crumb, about 10 times. Add the almond flour, ginger and a pinch of salt and pulse a couple times to combine. Pour this mixture into a medium bowl, add the melted butter and honey and stir with a fork to combine until it resembles coarse meal. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300˚. Make the filling: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, 2 minutes. Mix in the sour cream, honey, lemon zest and salt on medium speed, scraping the side of the bowl, until smooth, 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
• Pour the batter onto the crust. Bake until it begins to brown around the edges and the center is set, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly. While warm, slice into 24 squares, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until cold. Garnish with lemon zest, if desired, and serve chilled. Store for up to 3 days covered in the fridge.

LEMON BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grease the bottom of a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Then place parchment paper over the top, pressing down at the corners. In a food processor, process the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers until you have the texture of bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. When done set aside to cool.
• Add cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Pour onto the cooled base and then cover with blueberries. They will sink slightly but should still be half exposed -- as the cake bakes they will sink a little more and break down.
• Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice into 10 rectangular bars. Dust with powdered sugar.

CHEESECAKE LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Whisk together 1 1/2 cup flour and confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared baking dish to form a crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside.
• Whisk together 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a bowl. Pour lemon mixture into the prepared crust. Skim off any bubbles from the surface of the filling. Mix the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in a bowl until well blended. Whisk in 2 eggs, then spread over the lemon mixture. The mixtures will separate during baking.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is set, about 30 minutes.

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Crimp overhang under rim of pan.
• In a food processor, blend graham crackers with sugar until finely ground; add butter and pulse until moistened.
• Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and pat in gently (wipe processor bowl clean, and reserve for making filling). Bake until beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. While crust is baking, make filling.
• Make the filling: Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice; blend until smooth.
• Pour mixture onto hot crust in pan; smooth top. Return to oven, and bake until set (filling should jiggle only slightly when pan is gently shaken), 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool completely in pan. Cover very loosely with plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Use foil overhang to lift cheesecake out of pan. With metal spatula, lift cheesecake from foil; cut into 16 squares.

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• For the crust: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch cake pan with the baking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing at least 2 inches of overhang on the two long sides. Lightly coat the parchment with the baking spray.
• Combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor or gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Add the melted butter and pulse until evenly moistened. Press the mixture about 1 inch up the sides of the prepared cake pan, then press to cover the bottom evenly. Bake until the edges just become golden and the crust is fragrant, 8 to 9 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
• Use your fingers to rub together the sugar, lemon zest and salt in a small bowl until the mixture is fragrant. Gradually add the sugar mixture to the cream cheese on low speed, then raise the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl, then beat for another few seconds to combine.
• Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla on low speed until combined. Mix in half of the beaten eggs and until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl and paddle well and then mix in the remaining half of the beaten eggs on low speed just until combined.
• Pour the batter over the freshly baked warm crust and spread smooth. Place the lemon curd in a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe lines of the lemon curd across the batter (alternately, spoon small dollops of curd across the batter.) Use a toothpick to swirl the curd and batter together slightly.
• Place the baking pan in a slightly larger baking pan or roasting pan. Place in the center of the oven. Very carefully pour about 1 inch of steaming hot water into the larger pan to create a water bath. Gently slide the oven rack back in place and close the door. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until the center barely jiggles, 42 to 45 minutes. The temperature at the center of the cheesecake should be about 150 degrees F.
• Once baked, turn off the oven, prop open the door and allow the cheesecake to cool down inside the oven for 45 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely before refrigerating for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• To serve, use the parchment overhang to pull the cheesecake out of the pan. Peel down the sides of the parchment and cut into 24 bars. Serve immediately or store tightly covered for up to 3 days.

LIMONCELLO CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack.
• Blend the ricotta in a clean food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine occasionally and scraping down the sides of the work bowl. Blend in the limoncello, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time, and pulse just until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the baking pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake until the cheesecake is golden and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour (the cake will become firm when it is cold).
• Transfer the cake to a rack; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Cut the cake into squares and serve.
• *Limoncello liqueur can be found at most liquor stores and in the liquor department of some specialty markets. If limoncello liqueur is unavailable at stores near you, use the following recipe to make your own limoncello liqueur.
• Limoncello:
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.
• Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.
• Makes: 7 cups
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Inactive Prep Time: 4 days and 4 hours

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil extending over 2 short sides of pan to be used as "handles" to remove cheesecake from pan later. Lightly spray foil with cooking spray; lightly flour.
• In large bowl, stir together Crust ingredients until mixture is crumbly; press evenly in bottom of pan.
• In same large bowl, beat cream cheese, pudding, sugar and sour cream with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and just until blended. Pour Filling into pan; smooth top with spatula.
• Bake 45 minutes or until cheesecake is set around edges and about 3 inches of center still wobbles slightly. Turn off oven; open door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes to cool.
• Remove cheesecake from oven; place on cooling rack. Cool 30 minutes.
• Tent foil over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight to set.
• To serve, remove cheesecake from pan by lifting with foil "handles." Place on serving platter; remove excess foil. Pipe or spoon whipped topping over top of cheesecake; sprinkle with additional grated lemon peel.

PHILADELPHIA 3-STEP LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Combine cookie crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom of 8-inch square pan sprayed with cooking spray.
• Beat cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, juice and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
• Bake 20 to 25 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 3 hours.

DOUBLE-LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325ºF.
• Line 13x9-inch pan with parchment, with ends of parchment extending over sides. Combine wafer crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 min.
• Meanwhile, separate 1 egg; refrigerate yolk until ready to use. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour, lemon zest, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add egg white and remaining 3 whole eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
• Pour cream cheese batter over crust.
• Bake 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate 4 hours.
• Combine cornstarch and remaining sugar in medium saucepan; gradually stir in water and remaining lemon juice until blended. Bring just to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir until clear and thickened.
• Beat reserved egg yolk in small bowl with fork until blended. Add 2 Tbsp. of the hot cornstarch mixture to beaten egg yolk; mix well. Return to remaining cornstarch mixture in saucepan; stir until blended. Cook 1 min. or until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.
• Spoon lemon glaze over cheesecake. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Use parchment handles to remove cheesecake from pan before cutting into bars. Serve topped with blueberries.

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Roll or process the cereal to make about 1 cup crumbs.
• Combine crumbs, margarine and 2 tbsp sugar.
• Reserve 2 tbsp of mixture.
• Press remaining mixture into a greased an 8-inch baking dish or a 9-inch pie plate.
• Bake at 375°F degrees for 8 minutes; cool.
• While the crust is baking and cooling, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
• Add lemon juice and rind.
• Beat whipping cream stiff; fold into cream mixture.
• Turn into the prepared cool crust.
• Sprinkle reserved cereal mixture on top.
• Chill 2 hours, cut into squares and serve.