Lemon blueberry cheesecake bars.

Most people I've met in England have never had a s'more. Actually, most haven't even known what one is. I'm guessing it's because (1) There are no graham crackers here, and (2) No one here has seen The Sandlot. It's tragic, really.

So I made a point to bring some graham crackers back with me after Christmas. Up until recently, they'd just been chilling in my room, patiently waiting for the day they'd be made into something delectable.

That day came about a week ago. I had a refrigerator full of blueberries. This is what I did with them.

Lemon blueberry cheesecake bars

(courtesy of this wonderful site)

 

Ingredients:

Crust:
9 graham crackers, crushed
2 tbsp sugar
dash of cinnamon
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 lemons (juice and zest)
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Directions:  

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. The extra paper can hang over the edges -- that just makes it easier to remove the bars after baking.

Crust: Combine crushed graham crackers, sugar, and a dash of cinnamon. (Real talk: whenever a recipe calls for a "dash," I can't do it. I usually go with a hearty sprinkle. I've found that's not a good idea with cloves or nutmeg, but it's perfectly okay with cinnamon. Just FYI.) Add melted butter and mix till it's fully incorporated. Press the mixture evenly into the lined pan. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden. Set aside to cool completely. 

 

Filling: Mix cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice with a hand mixer until smooth. Pour over the cooled crust. Sprinkle blueberries over the top (or, if you're a mild control freak like me, place the berries in a manner that's both strategic and aesthetically pleasing).

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the center is mostly set -- only slightly jiggly. Remove and cool to room temperature. Then pop it into the refrigerator (still in the pan) for at least 3 hours before serving. Once it's set and chilled, remove from the pan, slice and serve. 

Yum.