Lemon Cheesecake Bars

I’ve said it before  but I’ll say it again – I love springtime desserts. They’re so bright and zesty, and they usher in a certain hopefulness that we didn’t allow ourselves to feel through those bitterly cold months when it seemed like  the warmth would never return. Lemon is a prominent flavor and ingredient in many of those recipes that I love so much, so it was no wonder that I settled on a lemony recipe for Easter (again) this year. No need to remind me that Easter was a month ago now… I’m playing some serious catch-up around here! As usual, I hope you’ll bear with me. This recipe is worth it!

Now that Kevin and I have just 5 months until our wedding, we use every trip back to visit our parents as a wedding planning trip as well. We’re getting married right near where I grew up, so it’s only natural to try to pack in appointments with the caterer, venue, DJ and everyone else on the few weekends we’re home. Easter weekend was no different, we had plans all day Saturday and church Sunday morning, so I put little thought into making these.

Unfortunately when you don’t plan, you often come to find that when you walk into the pantry, a handful of necessary ingredients are not there. That’s what happens when you don’t shop before hand! I had picked out a few recipes that looked appealing, so when I found we had no means of making a crust – no ginger snaps, no graham crackers – I decided to make up something on my own.

I opted for a shortbread crust, which I paired with a basic lemon cheesecake, and then I bruleed the tops for a fun twist. Generally I’m used to making and eating cheesecake with some sort of cookie crust, so this was an interesting and well-received change. The shortbread got pleasingly crispy on the bottom, and the creamy cheesecake was the perfect compliment. I was so stuffed from the rest of dinner that I didn’t finish my cheesecake square, but you better believe I enjoyed the leftovers immensely!

You could easily make these without the bruleed tops, and they’d be just as wonderful, but I like to play with recipes and dress things up from time to time, and I actually really enjoyed the crunchy top that the caramelized sugar created! It gives them a subtle air of sophistication, even though they’re really not to sophisticated at all.

 What’s your favorite lemon recipe?

The post Lemon Cheesecake Bars appeared first on {Sweetly} Serendipity.

http://www.sweetlyserendipity.com/