Lemon Cheesecake Squares – Inherited Goods

I was already full, but then Jonathan and I started talking. One thing led to another, and he revealed the Lemon Cheesecake Squares he contributed to our Shri Yoga holiday potluck party. I’ve yet to meet a cheese-based dessert that I’m able to resist. Thank goodness they were two-bite sized — two lingering, mouthwatering yummy bites.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares 

Base

• 1 c flour
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 5 T unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 c chopped almonds

Filling

• 8 oz firm cream cheese, softened (regular or light)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c sugar
• 2 T milk
• 1/2 t vanilla
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

Combine base mixture. Press 2/3 of it in an 8 x 8-inch pan. Because it’s buttery, you don’t need to butter the pan first. Bake for 10 mins at 350F.

Use a mixer to beat filling mixture till fluffy. Pour over baked base. Sprinkle with rest of base.

Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Do not overbake. Loosen the edges and cut with a knife dipped in ice water. Makes about 2 dozen squares. Serves 12.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares Print Ready Recipe

Final notes:

• Thanks to Jonathan Kaplansky for sharing his grandmother’s recipe for Lemon Cheesecake Squares. To lighten things up a tad, you could use half low-fat cream cheese and half ricotta.

• Until just now it never dawned on me that you could make your own cream cheese. Can we get a posse together to try a batch?
• Take a look at all these cream cheese recipes.