I’ve never understood why some people don’t love cheesecake. The Hippie Chick is one of these.
I sometimes wonder if she really is my daughter.
The thing I love about these bars, besides, of course, the pretty swirly pattern, is the lime curd. Lime curd (and lemon curd) is one of those gorgeous little treats I never learned to appreciate until well into my adulthood.
It’s a tragedy, really.
I’ve included the recipe for lime curd in this recipe, but you won’t need the entire batch for the cheesecake bars, so you’ll have a little leftover for any fun little thing you want. You can make it into little tarts, or bake it inside puff pastry for hand pies, or fold in some whipped cream and freeze it into cream pops.
Or just grab a spoon and eat it straight. Yummmmm.
One of my favorite things about cheesecake bars is that you can cut them into small bars, and leave the pan in the fridge. Then, whenever you want a little bite of something sweet, there’s a perfect bite just waiting for you.
If I can keep the kids from destroying them, they can hang on for a few days.
They really taste best and have the best texture when they’ve been sitting in the fridge, too.
You can make these with lemon curd, if you’re more of a lemon person. I kind of like that green color, though. It’s fun for St. Patrick’s Day, or really just anytime you’re in the mood for lime.
Or leave the lime out, and just have plain old cheesecake bars. Mmmmm….
Marbled Lime Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For Lime Curd:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks
- 4-5 ounces fresh lime juice
For Crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
For Cheesecake:
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons flour
Instructions
For Lime Curd:
- Mix together butter and sugar. Add eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing between each. Add fresh lime juice, and stir.
- Put mixture on the stove over medium-high heat. Use a thermometer, and mix and cook until mixture reaches 170 degrees.
- Remove from stove and pour into a separate dish to cool. Use green and yellow food coloring to tint curd a bright lime-green color. Cover with plastic wrap, putting wrap right against the top of the curd to keep it from getting a skin. Chill in the fridge until cool.*You will not need the entire batch of lime curd for this recipe.
For Graham Cracker Crust:
- Mix cracker crumbs and butter together. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 or comparable sized pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 5 minutes.
For Cheesecake:
- Preheat oven to 325F. With electric beaters, mix cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs and sour cream and mix well. Add vanilla and flour and mix well.
- Reserve about 1/2 cup cheesecake mixture, and pour the rest over the baked crust.
- Mix about 1/2 cup of the cooled lime curd with the reserved cheesecake mixture. Spoon lime-cheesecake mixture over the cheesecake in big dollops. Spoon additional 1/2 cup (more or less to your preference) lime curd over cheesecake in big dollops.
- Use a knife to make long passes through the cheesecake and marble everything together.
- Bake at 325F degrees for 35 minutes. Allow to cool, then chill in refrigerator for an hour or two before cutting into 16 large or 32 small bars.
I am making this for a party, but I have a question regarding the curd usage. Your note states that all the curd will not be used; however, in step 3 of the cheesecake, you instruct to use all the remaining curd. I don’t want lime overload, but I want to use a sufficient amount. If you do not use all of it, approximately how much do you have left over. Thanks in advance!
My excess curd question was not posted, so I proceeded anyway. You may want to check #1 instruction under “Cheesecake”, as the ingredients list only whole eggs (no additional yolks) and the instruction omits the vanilla and flour that are listed.
Sorry about my mess-up! I’ve adjusted the recipe, so it should make a little more sense now. Thanks!
That’s ok! While I’m not a novice and figured it out, I thought it best to let you know. These were a huge hit and, in fact, I’ve got the ingredients out for another batch now. It was requested in lieu of a birthday cake! Excellent recipe!