Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

½ cup powdered sugar

¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

 4 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

1 TBS flour

1 TBS lemon zest

½ cup lemon juice

2 8oz packages cream cheese (softened)

1 cup white sugar 

2 eggs beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter a 9x13 inch baking dish

Whisk together 1 ½ cup flour and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.  Cut in the cold butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared baking dish to form a crust.

Bake in preheated oven 15-18 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Whisk together 4 eggs, 1 ½ cups sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a bowl.  Pour lemon mixture into the prepared crust.  Skim off any bubbles from the surface of the filling.  Mix the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in a bowl until well blended.  Whisk in 2 eggs, then spread over the lemon mixture.  The mixtures will separate during baking. 

Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is set, about 30 minutes.