Delight in the perfect combination of creamy cheesecake, fresh strawberries, and zesty lemon, all nestled on a buttery shortbread crust.
Ingredients: For Shortbread Crust:. - 1 cup all-purpose flour. - 1/4 cup granulated sugar. - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed. For Cheesecake Filling:. - 8 oz cream cheese, softened. - 1/4 cup granulated sugar. - 1 egg. - 1 tsp vanilla extract. - Zest of 1 lemon. For Strawberry Layer:. - 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced. - 2 tbsp granulated sugar. - 1 tsp lemon juice. For Assembly:. - Additional lemon zest for garnish.
Instructions: Warm the oven up to 350F 175C and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of extra to make it easy to take off. For the shortbread crust, put the flour and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in a food processor and pulse them together. Press and hold to mix. Cube the cold butter and put it in the food processor. Pulse the mixture a few times until it looks like coarse crumbs and starts to stick together. To make an even crust, press the shortbread mixture firmly into the baking pan that has been prepared. After the oven is hot, bake the crust for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down a bit. Melt the cream cheese and add 1/4 cup of sugar to a mixing bowl. Beat the mixture until it is smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, mix the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Once more, beat until everything is smooth and well mixed. Spread the cream cheese mixture out evenly on top of the shortbread crust that has been left to cool a bit. Put the strawberry dices, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a different bowl. Add the strawberries and toss to coat. Spread the strawberry mix out evenly on top of the cream cheese layer. For about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cheesecake layer is set and the edges are just beginning to turn golden, put it in the oven. After taking the bars out of the oven, let them cool all the way down on a wire rack in the pan. After it has cooled, put it in the fridge for a few hours to set and chill. When the bars are cool, use the extra parchment paper to lift them out of the pan. Cut them into squares or bars by hand after putting them on a cutting board. Before serving, sprinkle a little lemon zest on top of each bar. Enjoy these tasty Shortbread Crust Cookies and Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars!
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
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