Cheesecake Shortbread Bars
Easy recipe for cheesecake made in a food processor, lends the creamiest texture and is set atop a lemony, crumbly shortbread crust.
Servings 10
Ingredients
Lemon Shortbread Crust
- 160g or 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 50g or ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 15g or 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 130g or 10 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
Cheesecake Filling
- 220g or 1 cup granulated sugar
- zest of two lemons
- 453g or 2 bricks cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
- 120g or 1/2 cup sour cream or labneh
- Juice of a lemon optional
- two large eggs at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F and line an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan with parchment paper (two longer pieces which make a + sign will make the easiest to lift out).
- In a food processor combine all the dry ingredients for the crust. Pulse it to just combine and then add the butter. Run the food processor until the dough comes together in wet, sandy crumbs.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the pan into one even layer. Bake it for about 30 minutes, until it is golden all over.
- Wipe your food processor completely clean (no crumbs left) and process the cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice, sour cream, sugar and salt until there are no lumps of cream cheese (scraping down as needed). You can also do this in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer.
- Add the eggs and process to just combine, no more.
- When the crust is done, pour the cheesecake filling into the pan. Place the square pan in a 13×9” cake sheet pan and pour very hot water into the cake pan to make a water bath.
- Place the cheesecake and it’s water bath into the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, until the center is still a little jiggly but the sides are set.
Video
Notes
For a more lemony taste, rub the zest into the sugar a few hours or the night before and store in the fridge.