I had this recipe stashed away in a journal and I forget where I got it! But I've made these lemon cheesecake bars several times. Fresh lemon juice is always the best but I mostly use the kind from the bottle. For the party, we doubled the recipe and used a 9x13 inch pan so ours were extra thick, which required a longer baking time.
For crust:
8 graham crackers
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
For the cheesecake:
2 8oz blocks of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 inch square glass pan with foil, leaving an overhang.
To make the crust, in a food processor, process the crackers and sugar until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until crackers are moist. Put in lined pan and gently pat down so it's evenly distributed in pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile for the cheesecake, add cream cheese to clean food processor and process until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, zest and juice. Continue to process until fully mixed and smooth. Pour over hot cracker crust. Return to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until set but still with a slight jiggle. Let cool; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to cut, take out of pan and pull back foil.
And to celebrate my dad's birthday, I got a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing from The Hershey Pantry. It was so delicious and moist! A beautiful cake! If you're from central PA or visiting, I highly recommend a meal at the Pantry or a cake/pie for a special occasion!
j
We had one other special dish - a cheesy potato bake - but I still have to finagle that recipe from my mom. Don't worry - the wait is well worth it! These potatoes are always a hit!
j
Some other photos Bec caputured that day:
Me and My officemate, Natalie
At almost all of our summer parties we fill our big blue fish bowl with fresh fruit
Me and my handsome boyfriend, Adam :)
Old, sweet Chester was enjoying everyone's company
Here my little cousin Chance was enjoying piece after piece of chocolate
The newest member of the family, Katherine the Great!
Me with my best friend and the photographer, Rebecca
The precious, yet mischievous smile of Katherine & Chance's big brother, Chandler
When's the next party? All these posts and pictures make me miss it already! I love your food, but I love your company even more.
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