Lemon Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Cookie Bars

These cheesecake cookie bars are out-of-this-world! And in true ‘Char fashion’ use nothing but pantry staple items.

Warning: you won’t be able to stop at just one – I’m a three at one sitting kinda gal. Cheers to bikini season.

Lemon Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Cookie Bars

Cheesecake Layer

• 4 oz (120 g) softened cream cheese
• ½ cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
• 1 egg
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) vanilla extract

1. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, egg and vanilla until very well combined.
2. Set aside while making cookie dough.

Cookie Dough Layer

• ½ cup (125 mL) softened butter
• ½ cup (125 mL) brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
• 1 cup (250 mL) all purpose flour (a gluten free flour will work too)
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
• ½ tsp (2 mL) baking soda
• 1 cup (250 mL) white chocolate chips
• 2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated lemon zest
• ½ cup (125 mL) quality raspberry jam

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
2. Beat together butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla.
3. Add flour, salt, baking soda, chocolate, and lemon zest and beat until well combined.
4. Line an 8 X 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper on the bottom and up the sides (see parchment paper clip below).
5. Press approximately half of the cookie dough into bottom of pan (*I find wetting my hands helps the dough not to stick to my fingers). Alternatively, you can chill the dough for about 30 minutes (before pressing into the pan) so it’s not so soft).
6. Pour prepared cheesecake layer on top of base.
7. Dollop jam over cheesecake layer, and swirl jam into cheesecake layer with the tip of a knife.
8. Dollop the remaining cookie dough (in approx 2 tsp (10 mL) clumps) over jam/cheesecake layer (*don’t worry if it does not look pretty).
9. Place in preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden and the center is still slightly jiggly.
10. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Chill for at least 2 hours (*ideally overnight) before slicing. Cut into 16 bars. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week (but they won’t last that long!).

Tips:

~ Gluten free? Use an all purpose GF flour instead of regular.
~ Use strawberry jam instead of raspberry.

Watch clip below for parchment paper trick:

Charmaine Broughton is a Muskoka/Toronto-based cooking show host & guest expert and author of ‘Delicious & Doable ~ Recipes For Real and Everyday Life‘.

‘Delicious & Doable ~ Recipes For Real and Everyday Life’ is on Amazon! Get your copy today!