Desserts
Blueberry-Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Make your next gathering a piece of (cheese)cake with these rich and flavorful Blueberry-Lemon Cheesecake Bars.
Ingredients
FOR THE LEMON CURD:
Test Kitchen Tip
Lemon Curd can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 1 week. Store-bought lemon curd can be used in place of homemade.
Instructions
Line a 9-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap, letting excess extend over sides of pan.
Mix together graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and vanilla, stirring until moistened. Using a measuring cup, press mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Freeze while preparing filling.
Place ¼ cup water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over water, and let stand for 10 minutes. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved. Set aside.
Place cream cheese, condensed milk, and lemon zest and juice in the container of a blender; blend until combined and smooth. Add blueberries and blend until uniform in color. (Some blueberry bits will remain.) With blender running, add warm gelatin mixture, blending until well combined. Pour filling over prepared crust.
Place Lemon Curd in a plastic piping bag, and cut off tip. Pipe Lemon Curd in thin lines over filling. Using a wooden pick, swirl Lemon Curd. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Using excess plastic as handles, remove cheesecake from pan, and cut into bars.
For the Lemon Curd
Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; set aside.
Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Gradually add lemon juice, whisking until cornstarch is dissolved. Add eggs, egg yolks, and zest, whisking until well combined.
Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk vigorously until mixture has a pudding-like consistency, about 1 minute more.
Press curd through prepared sieve into medium bowl. Whisk in butter, 1 to 2 cubes at a time, letting each cube melt before adding another. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled and set, at least 1 hour.