Lemon Oreo Cheesecake Bars

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9×9-in baking pan with a large enough sheet of foil so that the edges of the foil reach over the sides of the pan (you will use the foil to lift the cheesecake from the pan). Press the foil down into the bottom and corners of the pan being careful not to tear the foil.
2. Place 20 OREO’s into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the cookies are ground in fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse again until evenly combined. Pour the crumbs into your prepared baking pan and spread evenly, then press the crumbs down firmly to create a crust in the bottom of the pan.
3. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the oven, but leave the oven on at 325 degrees.
4. While the crust is baking, place the cream cheese in the bowl of stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (approximately 2 minutes). Add the sugar and mix well. Blend in the sour cream, vanilla and lemon extracts and salt. Add the egg and egg yolk and mix until all of the ingredients are completely combined. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and with a rubber spatula, fold in the OREO pieces until evenly combined throughout the batter.
5. Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust in the baking pan, and evenly spread to cover the crust. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes – you want the cheesecake to be set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack until it is room temperature (do not put the pan in the refrigerator at this point to cool – otherwise the top may crack). Once the pan has reached room temperature, then cover and place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill completely (3-4 hours).
7. When ready to serve, gently pull up on the edges of the foil and pull the cheesecake out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and peel away the foil.
8. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to create a medium-thick glaze. Place a small round tip into a piping bag, and fill with the prepared glaze. In a diagonal pattern, drizzle the glaze over the entire cheesecake.
9. Slice the cheesecake into bars – we found it helpful to wet the knife with warm water before slicing. Wipe the knife clean in between cuts so that the edges of the bars stay neat.
10. Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until ready to serve.