I really love this recipe because it is a great cookie to make for the holidays, but can double as summer or spring dessert too. The flavor is light and fresh, and is a fun way to brighten up your cookie plate.
This was relatively easy to put together, the only glitch we had was that the cheesecake layer takes a little time to come together. We weren’t prepared for that, and were worried that something was going wrong, but after a little extra beating, it became smooth and creamy and after baking, you would have never known there was even a question.
For a little extra freshness, grate a little more zest and sprinkle it on after they are baked, it adds some extra flavor to an already delicious cookie.
Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- Sugar cookie crust:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 2 cups flour
- Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1½ tbsp lemon zest
- ½ Cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper
- In bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Turn mixer to low and add the flour and mix just until dough comes together
- Press half of the dough into prepared pan, place the remaining dough in fridge until ready to use
- Bake for 25-30 minutes
- The crust should be lightly golden.
- Cool completely before filling with the cheesecake mixture
- For the Filling:
- In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest
- Mix until smooth and creamy..This might take awhile for it to come together
- Pour filling over cooled crust
- Top filling with the remaining sugar cookie dough by simply crumbling it evenly over the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees
- Let cool and serve
- Store leftovers in the fridge
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