Cheese Squares recipe

This is a delicious dessert recipe that Kathy and I enjoy.

Ingredients

For the crust/topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 cups flour (or Kathy's modification below)
• 1 cup melted butter

Kathy's modification for crust:

• Get Schar Honeygrams (5.6 oz)
• Crumble graham crackers in blender
• Add enough flour to make 3 cups of graham cracker plus flour
• Substitute this for the 3 cups of flour

For the filling:

• 2 packages 8 oz. cream cheese (I find that Philadelphia is a good choice)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (I prefer a fresh lemon)
• 4 tablespoons cream or milk (you can use low fat milk, not sure about skim)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Optional:

• Confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter.
3. Mix brown sugar and flour into a large bowl.
4. Stir in melted butter and mix with hands until crumbly.
5. Remove 1 – 2 cups of mixture to be used later for topping.
6. Use parchment paper to line a 13 x 9 pan. Place remaining crumbs in pan and press firmly.
7. Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes in 350 degree oven and remove.
8. While the crust is cooking, beat sugar and cream cheese until smooth.
9. Add eggs, lemon juice, cream/milk and vanilla into the cream cheese mixture and beat until mixed.
10. Pour mixture onto the baked crust.
11. Top with the reserved crumbs.
12. Return to 350 degree oven and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
13. Cool thoroughly (I let it sit out for about and hour and then chill in the refrigerator and additional 4 hours or overnight is even better).
14. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar when cooled.
15. Cut into small squares – this takes an effort! I try to use a knife that will best cut through the crust. The recipe says 2” square, though I think that is too big. I do more like 1 – 1/5” squares.
16. Keep refrigerated.