Crumbles, cobblers and betties are easy summer desserts, but once in a while, we want something a bit more satisfying, even decadent, yet a large slice of cheesecake or chocolate cake seems out of place and too filling. We recently came across a recipe for Lemon Cheesecake Squares that seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Perfect for picnics as well as potlucks, they travel well and deliver just the right amount of creamy satisfaction. We decided to use an 8 by 8-inch pan for our cheesecake bars, and five whole graham crackers proved to be about right for the crust. We tried using a food processor to break them up into crumbs and also tried a placing them in a zipper-lock bag and going over them with a rolling pin. We found both methods worked well in producing a relatively uniform crumb in short order. Once ground, we placed the crumbs in a small bowl to mix the other ingredients. For the butter, we tried using anywhere from a couple of tablespoons to one-third cup. We settled on one-fourth cup or four tablespoons. This allowed for a flavorful crust that held together nicely. We melted the butter, drizzled it over the crumbs and mixed with a fork or spatula. We found the sugar gave the crust added crunch. We tried adding brown and/or granulated (white) sugar, and preferred the clean flavor of the granulated. In the end, we settled on two tablespoons. Based on our 8 by 8-inch pan, we used one pound of cream cheese as a base. The cre ...
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Crumbles, cobblers and betties are easy summer desserts, but once in a while, we want something a bit more satisfying, even decadent, yet a large slice of cheesecake or chocolate cake seems out of place and too filling. We recently came across a recipe for Lemon Cheesecake Squares that seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Perfect for picnics as well as potlucks, they travel well and deliver just the right amount of creamy satisfaction. We decided to use an 8 by 8-inch pan for our cheesecake bars, and five whole graham crackers proved to be about right for the crust. We tried using a food processor to break them up into crumbs and also tried a placing them in a zipper-lock bag and going over them with a rolling pin. We found both methods worked well in producing a relatively uniform crumb in short order. Once ground, we placed the crumbs in a small bowl to mix the other ingredients. For the butter, we tried using anywhere from a couple of tablespoons to one-third cup. We settled on one-fourth cup or four tablespoons. This allowed for a flavorful crust that held together nicely. We melted the butter, drizzled it over the crumbs and mixed with a fork or spatula. We found the sugar gave the crust added crunch. We tried adding brown and/or granulated (white) sugar, and preferred the clean flavor of the granulated. In the end, we settled on two tablespoons. Based on our 8 by 8-inch pan, we used one pound of cream cheese as a base. The cre ...