Shelly's Recipe

LEMON RIPPLE CHEESECAKE BARS

Category: Cheesecake

CRUST
8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled, plus more for the pan
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp salt

FILLING
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
2 large egg yolks
1 ¾ cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 1/4 lbs cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tbsp flour
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 325. Butter a 9 inch square baking pan. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Add the butter and pulse until a soft, crumbly dough forms. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and a scant 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden and firm.

Filling: In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water. In a medium saucepan, whisk yolks with ¾ cup sugar and lemon juice. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook over medium heat, whisking gently, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot, about 4 minutes. Boil over medium-high heat for 1 minute, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick and glossy. Strain mixture into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the lemon zest and let cool.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with remaining sugar until smooth. Beat in flour until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Add sour cream and vanilla, and beat until batter is smooth. Pour cream cheese batter over crust, and smooth surface with a spatula. Dollop lemon mixture on cheesecake batter, and carefully swirl it into batter using tip of a knife; take care not to cut into crust.

Bake about 40 minutes, until golden around edges and just set. Run tip of a knife around edges to loosen cheesecake from sides of pan. Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Cut into bars and serve. Notes: It is better to cut the cheesecake when it has cooled completely. If the cheesecake begins to soften, it's a mess to cut. The cheesecake can be refrigerated in the pan for up to 3 days. Wait to cut it into bars until you're ready to serve them.