February 28, 2010: Lemony Cream Cheese Squares

I can tell my sweet tooth is waking up whenever I write about sweets. Alas, today is such a day and Lemony Cream Cheese Squares are on my mind. These bar cookies have a cream cheese topping and resemble snack-size cheesecakes. I served them on many a dessert table during my catering days. They are another jewel from Maida Heatter's "Book of Great Cookies".

LEMONY CREAM CHEESE SQUARES
From Maida Heatter's "Book of Great Cookies"

5 1/3 T butter
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 T lemon juice
8 ounces cream cheese, preferably at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 egg

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square brownie pan.

Place the butter, brown sugar, flour, and walnuts into the bowl of your food processor. Process by pulsing until the mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup and evenly distribute the rest over the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat until softened and smooth. Add the sugar and beat well. Add the vanilla and egg and beat to mix well. Add the lemon rind and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust, Carefully sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the filling. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool the cake in its pan to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least an hour. With a small, sharp knife cut around the sides to release. Cut the cake into quarters. With a wide metal spatula transfer the quarters to a cutting board, then cut each quarter into quarters. Store in an air-tight in the refrigerator or freezer. (Squares may be served directly from the freezer.)