Creamy Lemon {or Lime!} Bars

Creamy Lemon {or Lime!} Bars

from ourbestbites.com
Desserts
60 min
102 kcal / serving

Tart and creamy, these sweet lemon bars are almost a cross between traditional lemon bars and cheesecake bars. Delicious with lemon or lime! 

Ingredients

  • 20nilla wafers (finely crushed)
  • ½ cupflour
  • ¼ cupbrown sugar (firmly packed)
  • ¼ cupbutter (cold, no substitutions)
  • 18-ounce package cream cheese (1/3-less fat cream cheese is okay)
  • 1 cupgranulated sugar
  • 2eggs (room temperature; just place eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 10 mins)
  • 1 ½ teaspoonsvanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoonsflour
  • 3 tablespoonslemon peel (grated, divided)
  • ¼ cuplemon juice (fresh highly recommended)
  • ¼ teaspoonbaking powder
  • powdered sugar

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Spray lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.

  2. 2

    In a bowl, combine Nilla Wafer crumbs, ½ cup flour and the brown sugar. Chop butter into small pieces and then cut into crumb mixture with a pastry blender. If you don’t have a pastry blender, just use 2 knives, or even your fingers to break up the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

  3. 3

    Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min.

  4. 4

    While crust is cooking, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, vanilla,  2 tablespoons flour, and baking powder; mix well. Blend in 1 tablespoon lemon zest and lemon juice and then pour mixture over crust.

  5. 5

    Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. These bars improve with time. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel just before cutting into squares to serve.

  6. 6

    Store leftover squares in refrigerator.