Today's recipe is one you'll really appreciate if you have some cottage cheese you need to use. Then again, it's also a recipe that might make you want to run out and buy some cottage cheese! Greg Patent's Butter Crunch Lemon Cheese Bars from Cooking Light are excellent.
Butter Crunch Lemon Cheese Bars
Here's a link to the Cooking Light recipe collection where you can see the original recipe and read the reviews.
The original directions as well as what I've printed below call for the crust to be made in a mixing bowl and the filling in a food processor. However, if you'd rather not mess up a bowl you can do the crust in the food processor as well.
The bars need some time to chill, and if you have time overnight is best. They also freeze very well. You can serve them plain or dress them up with a little whipped cream and fruit.
Recipe
Cooking Light's Butter Crunch Lemon Cheese Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter softened, do not use tub style
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 4.5 oz/127 gram
Filling:
- 1 cup low fat cottage cheese I use 2%
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 3 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8 inch metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray or line it with nonstick foil (or parchment if that's what you prefer).
- To prepare crust, place first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Add the 1 cup flour to the butter mixture, and beat at low speed until well-blended. Press crust into prepared pan and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Let cool while you make the filling.
- To prepare filling, place cottage cheese in a food processor; process 2 minutes or until smooth, scraping sides of bowl once. Add 1 cup granulated sugar and remaining ingredients, and process until well-blended. Pour filling over crust. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until set (the edges will get lightly browned), and cool. Cover and chill for 8 hours.
Anna
Holly, thanks for commenting and noting the bake time. This is an older recipe which I sometimes forget about. I definitely need to bake these again and update the photo. Glad you like the recipe!
Holly
These take another 10 min of cooking to set but I’ve made them numerous times and the crust is always crunchy.
Squishy
Love this recipe. I adore the flavour of lemons. Could I use cream cheese instead?
carole
Wouldn't these be great with lime rather than lemon. Maybe key lime.
Anna
Debbi, you are right. They're not the least bit crunchy.
Joe, I think a lot of people who read Cooking Light have made these.
Cindy, I didn't see that.
Therese, I'm not sure ricotta would be smooth enough. It would work, but might be a little grainy. If you don't have a food processor, you might want to just try it with light (reduced fat) cream cheese. You'd be giving up the nutritional value, but in the end, it's just dessert.
Joe
I remember these! Jeff and I both liked them when we tried them out.
Debbi
Interesting how these are called Butter CRUNCH bars when there doesn't appear to be anything in there for a CRUNCH. Unless you include the egg shells..... 🙂