A middle cream cheese layer makes these a change – for the better – from the usual lemon squares.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp icing sugar    

CHEESECAKE LAYER:

• 1 pkg (8 oz/250 g) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg

BASE:

• 30 lemon social tea cookies
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Preparation

1 Line 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) metal cake pan with parchment paper or grease; set aside.

2 BASE: In food processor, whirl cookies to make 2 cups (500 mL) crumbs; pulse in butter until moistened. Press into prepared pan. Bake in centre of 325°F (160°C) oven until firm, about 12 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack.

3 CHEESECAKE LAYER: In bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth; beat in egg. Spread over base; set aside.

4 In bowl, beat eggs with sugar until thickened. Beat in lemon rind and juice, flour and baking powder until smooth; pour over cheesecake layer. Bake in centre of 325°F (160°C) oven until edges are set and lightly browned, about 35 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack. (Make-ahead: Remove from pan; wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days or overwrap in heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 1 month.) Cut into bars; dust with icing sugar.

Cut Neat Bars and Squares

• Let bars cool completely before cutting.
• Lift uncut bars out of pan using parchment paper liner as handles.
• Place on cutting board.
• With long knife, trim off edges to neaten up.
• A ruler is helpful so all pieces are the same size. 
• For 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) metal cake pan, cut crosswise into quarters. Cut each quarter in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into fifths to make 10 squares.
• Keep a wet, wrung-out cloth handy to wipe knife clean between cuts.

Makes 60 bars.  

PER BAR: about 71 cal, 1 g pro, 4 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 9 g carb, 0 g fibre, 24 mg chol, 33 mg sodium. % RDI: 1% calcium, 1% iron, 4% vit A, 2% vit C, 2% folate.

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