Lemon cheese bars
A more indulgent version of traditional lemon bars (or squares), a pastry that consists of lemon curd baked over a shortbread crust. Mascarpone is added to the curd in this recipe to make the lemon bars creamy and richer.
Servings 16 lemon cheese bars
Ingredients
Shortbread crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
Lemon curd
- ½ cup mascarpone at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups white sugar divided
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 large eggs
To serve
- powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Line the bottom and sides of a 9" x 9" pan with parchment paper.
Make the shortbread crust
- Whisk the flour and sugar in a bowl.
- Drop in the cold butter and cut in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes until lightly browned.
- Cool the crust while preparing the lemon curd.
Mix the lemon curd
- In a bowl, mix half cup of sugar with the mascarpone until smooth. Add another half cup of sugar and mix lightly.
- In another bowl, whisk the remaining half cup of sugar with the lemon zest.
- Combine the mascarpone mixture and lemon zest mixture, stirring just until smooth.
- Add the flour and baking powder and mix.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition.
- Stir in the lemon juice.
Assemble and bake
- Pour the lemon curd mixture over the cooled crust.
- Bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is dry, the edges are lightly browned and the center is just a little bit jiggly.
- Cool in the pan completely. Wrap the pan, chill the baked pastry in the fridge until firm, at least six hours, before cutting into rectangles, squares or triangles.
- Optionally, sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
