Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Cheesecake and me go WAAAAAYYYY BACK....I think I was born LOVING IT! SO if I see a recipe that has the word "Cheesecake" in the title, I am bound to give it a try (unless it has "Cherry" involved in it...then its pretty much a NO GO). When I found this recipe I went right to the store to purchase everything I needed to whip a batch right up. I was THRILLED with the end result. These Lemon Cheesecake Bars were to die for...really and truly I might give my left arm for one...well, maybe just a toe, but still...they were so delicious and tasty that I had to hide them from myself to keep from eating more than I should. They would make a great dessert any day but especially for the holidays.........guess you better run to the store and grab everything you need so you can whip up a batch for the big Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Crust:

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 powdered sugar

3/4 c. butter, cut into cubes

Mix together flour and powdered sugar. Cut in cold butter with a knife of pastry blender until mixture resembles crumbs. Press into the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven, set aside.

Lemon filling:

4 eggs

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 T. flour

1 T lemon zest (I didn't use this because I didn't have any...use if you have)

1/2 c. lemon juice

Whisk together all ingredient. Pour onto prepared cooked crust. Skim off any bubbles that form on the surface of the lemon filling.

Cheesecake filling:

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1 c. sugar

2 eggs, beaten

Mix the cream cheese and sugar into a bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs, then spread over the lemon mixture. The lemon and cheesecake mixture will separate during the baking process.

Topping:

1 1/2 c. graham crackers crumbs

1/3 c. sugar

6 T. butter, melted

Combine all ingredient together with a fork. Sprinkle on top of cheesecake mixture.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool completely. Cut and serve. Refrigerate leftovers (if there are any).

Julie~