Lemon Cheesecake Squares

I love love cheesecake but shockingly have trouble putting away a whole piece. Maybe not while I am eating it, but I never feel good after the fact. Cheesecake it a perfect example of a little goes a long way, which is why these cheesecake squares are the perfect size - one square is a one- or two-biter. Not overly sweet, there is a generous amount of lemon in this recipe so if you're not crazy about citrus, cut the amount of lemon zest and juice in half. 

Cheesecake can be tough to slice - dip a sharp (non-serrated) knife into warm water before slicing for neater cuts. The thin slice of strawberry on the top hides any imperfections! I have made these twice recently for parties and they were well received.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares (click here for printable recipe)

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

9 graham cracker sheets

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) melted butter

For the filling:

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 eggs

1 lemon, zested and juiced

3/4 cup sugar

5 strawberries, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Then place parchment paper over the top, pressing down at the corners. In a food processor, process the sugar, cinammon and graham crackers until you have fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until golden. When done set aside to cool.

Make the filling: Add cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Pour onto the cooled base and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice into 16 squares, topping each square with a strawberrie slice. Store in refrigerator.