Thursday, August 1, 2013

Lemon-Raspberry Cheesecake Bars



Normally I am eating peaches like they're going out of style every summer (because they are, come September), but this has been the summer of raspberries.  I've been buying several pints at a time each week at the grocery store, and between Caroline, Smith, and myself, we've been demolishing them pretty quickly.  Eaten straight from the carton, smashed onto toast or into yogurt... they aren't last lasting long around here.  I have a list of raspberry recipes that's a mile long, but we can't manage to keep them around long enough.  This week, however, I was determined, and doubled up on my raspberry purchase.

I had a little trouble deciding what to make first, but these cheesecake bars quickly won out.  They are low-maintance, easy, and also:  cheesecake.  There's a buttery, crisp graham cracker crust, topped with a creamy, sweet-tart lemon cheesecake filling, and beautiful bursts of fresh raspberries scattered throughout.  

Summer is winding down (sob), so don't let it pass you by without making these cheesecake bars.  



Lemon-Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
adapted From Annie's Eats' Lemon-Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 Tbs sugar
  • 8 Tbs butter, melted
  • 16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 3/4 cup + 1 Tbs sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbs lemon zest
  • 2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice 
  • 1 pint fresh raspberries
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on two sides.  Spray lightly with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, use a fork to mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter.  Press the mixture into the prepared pan, using your hands or the bottom of a glass.  Bake 8-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer is fine), beat the cream cheese and sour cream together at medium speed until smooth.  Add the sugar, and mix 2-3 minutes at medium-high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition, then mix in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Gently fold in the raspberries with a wooden spoon or spatula, then pour the mixture over the crust.  Use the spatula to carefully smooth the top.

Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the cheesecake is just set and no longer jiggles in the middle.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.  To serve, lift the cheesecake from the pan using the foil overhang, then slice into squares with a clean, sharp knife.


4 comments:

Joanne (eats well with others) said...

I probably don't eat raspberries enough even though I do love their sweet-tart flavor! Need to get these bars into my life before the season is over!

Eileen said...

These bars sound so good! Raspberry & lemon is such a great combination. NOM. :)

Laura Campbell said...

I adore berries. It's just coming to the end of winter over here (in Australia) so I'm bookmarking all of these gorgeous summery recipes to enjoy when our warm-weather fruit hits the markets! I love the fact that these are both cream cheese and yoghurt/sour cream based. Mmmm, my favourite kind of cheesecake filling! Thanks Josie (and Annie!) xx

Lindsey Cook said...

These bars look like the perfect "light and fluffy" dessert....thanks for the idea!

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