Butter Crunch Lemon-cheese Bars

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 nonstick cooking spray
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mace or 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon, zest of
• 3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 spray an 8-by-8-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray.
• 3 to prepare the crust, in a mixing bowl beat together on medium speed the butter, dark brown sugar, salt and mace until smooth.
• 4 spoon 1 cup flour lightly into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife.
• 5 add the flour to the butter mixture and beat at low speed until well blended.
• 6 press the crust into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.
• 7 meanwhile, prepare the filling.
• 8 in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the cottage cheese for 2 minutes or until smooth, scraping sides of the bowl once.
• 9 add the sugar, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, baking powder, egg and egg .
• 10 process until well blended.
• 11 pour the filling over the baked crust.
• 12 bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until set (the edges will get lightly browned).
• 13 remove from the oven and cool.
• 14 when cool, cover and chill for 8 hours.
• 15 to serve, cut into bars.