Lemon-Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

• BUTTER CRUST
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Vegetable cooking spray
• LEMON FILLING
• 1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg white
• GARNISH
• Lemon rind curl

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare Crust: Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup flour, beating at low speed until well blended. Press mixture on bottom of an 8-inch square pan coated with cooking spray.
2. 2. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
3. 3. Meanwhile, prepare Filling: Process cottage cheese in a food processor 1 minute or until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add granulated sugar and next 6 ingredients, and process 30 seconds or until well blended. Pour filling over prepared crust.
4. 4. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until set. (Edges will be lightly browned.) Cool 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours. Cut into bars. Garnish, if desired.
5. Try This Twist!
6. Reduced-Sugar Lemon-Cheesecake Bars: Substitute brown sugar sweetener for brown sugar and granular sweetener for granulated sugar.
7. Note: We tested with Whey Low 100% All Natural Gold Brown Sugar Sweetener and Granular Sweetener.
8. Per bar: Calories 172; Fat 8.9g (sat 5.2g, mono 2.2g, poly 0.5g); Protein 6.2g; Carb 45.8g; Fiber 0.5g; Chol 45.1mg; Iron 1mg; Sodium 259mg; Calc 70mg