Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars

 I’m about to show you something very exciting.  Yes, yes, these Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars are darned exciting, but take a look at these lemons.  

What’s so special about a bunch of lemons, you ask?  Well, first of all, they are Meyer Lemons, a citrus fruit, native to China, and believed to be a cross between an orange and a lemon. Second, I grew them myself!  Now for those of you living in citrus country I’m sure this is a real yawner for you, but for me, here in the Mississippi Valley, this is thrilling!  I grew all six of these on one small plant that was potted on my back deck.  The fruit formed during the summer, following the most delicious smelling blossoms, and continued to grow and ripen when I moved the plant indoors for the winter.  The day of the harvest was cause for celebration and I intended to use them in a special recipe worthy of them, and so, I present, Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars.  Thumbs up all around from the entire family.  Yes, they were that good.  Presumably they will be equally as tasty when using lemons that you haven’t grown yourself.

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Crust:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Meyer Lemon Layer:

4 extra-large eggs, room temperature

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons lemon zest

3/4 cup Meyer lemon juice

¼ teaspoon lemon oil

Cheesecake Layer:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350°F.   Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with Pam; set aside.

To make crust:  In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together the 1-1/2 cups flour and confectioners' sugar until mixed.  Drop in cubes of butter and continue pulsing until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press crumbs evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside.

To make lemon filling:  Whisk together the eggs, 1-1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon zest, Meyer lemon juice, and lemon oil until well blended. Pour lemon mixture over the prepared crust, skimming off any bubbles from the surface of the filling.

To make cheesecake layer:  Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl until well blended.  Whisk in 2 eggs to blend.  Pour mixture over the lemon mixture. Do not worry if they appear to combine, the mixtures will separate during baking.  Bake until the filling is set, about 30 minutes.

To serve, cut into squares and center on a plate drizzled with one of Melissa’s Dessert Sauces.  I chose raspberry because I liked the combination of the colors, but any of these would work wonderfully.

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