Three wonderful layers, a brown sugar oatmeal cookie base on the bottom, sweet raspberry preserves in the middle, and a refreshingly cool, lemony cheesecake filling on top. Delicious!

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

            Small amount of vegetable shortening for preparing pan

Crust:

¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1¼ cups old-fashioned oats

¼ teaspoon salt

Fruit Layer:

½ cup raspberry preserves

Cream Cheese Filling:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Tip: Use a citrus zester and citrus juicer for fresh zest and freshly squeezed juice. Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scales foraccurate measuring.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare one 13x9x2 inch oblong pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening.
   
   Crust:
2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and brown sugar; beat together on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Add flour, oats, and salt; beat until blended.
   
   Bake and Fruit Layer:
3. Press mixture evenly into the baking pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, and immediately spoon raspberry preserves over hot crust and spread in an even layer. Set aside.
   
   Cream Cheese Filling:
4. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat at low speed until well blended.
   
   
5. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to thoroughly break up the eggs. Add eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture; continue beating on low speed until well mixed. Tip: keep the mixer at low speed to prevent air bubbles from forming.
   
   Bake:
6. Pour filling over the still warm raspberry preserves layer. Bake 25 minutes or until filling is set. The middle may still jiggle a little bit but will set up as it cools. Remove from oven and place baking pan on a wire cooling rack to cool.
   
   
7. When cooled to room temperature, cut into bars about 2 inches by 1½ inches. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled. Refrigerate leftovers.
   

Tip: My favorite tool to cut bar cookies is a dough scraper; simply push the dough scraper straight down into the cookie for straight cuts. Or use a pizza cutter or small kitchen knife to cut the cookie into bars.

Makes about 2 dozen bars

TheBakingPan.com

Adapted From: The Cookie Bible, Publications International, LTD, Illinois, 2004
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