Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

These are not your average lemon bars. Rather than a tart and delicate bar with a crumbly base, our Lemon Cream Cheese Bars are rich, creamy, and sweet with a thick and chewy bottom crust that makes up almost half of the bar. The bottom crust is made of a few pantry staples but it bakes into a buttery, hefty, and satisfying cookie base that's perfect for the fluffy and gooey layers on top.To make the cream cheese filling, beat softened creamed cheese and powdered sugar with eggs, vanilla, and a little flour to make an airy spreadable mixture. Pour this filling over the crust before adding jarred lemon curd. Use a butter knife to swirl the curd into the cream cheese filling before baking—as the bars bake, the cream cheese puffs dramatically, sets around the swirls of lemon curd, and browns beautifully to make a dramatic pattern of color on the top of the bars. While the cream cheese filling becomes a fluffy solid texture, the lemon curd maintains its loose and jammy consistency in ribbons running throughout the bars. Decadent, sturdy, and easy to throw together in less than 30 minutes, these dessert bars are perfect for entertaining or keeping on the counter for a sweet lemon treat!