I had wanted to make lemon cheesecake for my friend Laura while she was recovering from back surgery. My last-minute trip back home to Minnesota meant that by the time I had returned she was practically fully recovered and we were quickly approaching her birthday. Killing two birds with one stone, the lemon cheesecake idea was now celebrating both her 32nd year AND her being up and around like a champion. The kicker was that said birthday celebration was taking place at a bar–a very nice bar, Chef Geoff’s, but a bar nonetheless. Being familiar with bars, I don’t really find them conducive to cheesecake.  I mean how exactly would one serve a whole cheesecake to a mass of rowdy, celebratory, possibly drunk friends? Messily is how I pictured it.  So a full-blown cheesecake morphed into cheesecake bars–individual portions! Less mess! No serving necessary.

I was adamant about two things when making this dessert. I wanted a super lemony taste (Laura is still talking about those Lemon Bars from last month) and I wanted a lemon curd top layer (I mean lemon curd, yum!).  I of course could not find a recipe that suited my tastes so I adapted the recipe below from Martha Stewart’s Lemon Cheesecake Squares and The New Best Recipe’s Lemon Cheesecake.  Enjoy.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars:

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:
~8 graham crackers (full sheets)
~2 tablespoons sugar
~3 tablespoons butter, melted

For the filling:
~2 8oz cream cheese bricks
~1/3 cup Greek-style yogurt
~3/4 cup sugar
~2 large eggs
~1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
~1 tablespoon heavy cream
~5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
~Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
~Dash of salt

For the topping:
~1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
~2 large eggs, plus one large yolk
~1/2 cup sugar
~2 tablespoons cold butter, cut in cubes
~1 tablespoon heavy cream
~1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
~1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Make the crust. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom and side of an 8″ square pan* with aluminum foil to make a sling.  Crimp the overhanging foil to the edges of the pan.

In a food processor, pulse graham crackers and sugar until fine (or if your angry and need to vent, roll the crackers sealed in a plastic bag with a rolling pin–take a few whacks if necessary).  Add butter and mix until moistened.  Transfer crumb mixture to the pan and press into the bottom. Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes or until just beginning to brown.

While crust bakes, make the filling. Whip the cream cheese in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, heavy cream, vanilla and salt stopping frequently to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour the mixture on top of the hot crust and spread it evenly to the sides. Shake the pan to smooth the top.   Bake for 30-35 minutes or until top is no longer shiny and the filling jiggles only slightly when shaken.

As the cheesecake bakes, make the curd. Heat the lemon juice in a non-reactive pan on medium heat until hot, but not boiling. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and slowly whisk in the sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in half of the hot lemon juice into the egg mixture, then return the egg/lemon juice mixture to the saucepan and continue cooking and stirring until mixture reaches 170 degrees or it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and stir until incorporated. Stir in the cream, vanilla, and salt then pour through a strainer into a small, glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

After the cheesecake comes out of the oven, pour the curd on top and smooth out for even coverage. Cover with plastic wrap and let pan cool, about 20-30 minutes. Place cooled cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours (but up to 2 days) to set.

Remove sling from pan and cut with a sharp knife (wiping between cuts).  Makes 16 squares.

*Marci’s Note: Either an 8″ or 9″ square pan will work for this recipe.