Luscious Lemon Bars

These lemon cheesecake bars are the perfect dessert for a springtime gathering or celebration. I recently made them as part of a holiday dinner, and I may have caught a few mouths licking the plate! Now, this is not a treat you'd want while dieting, but one that is served for special occasions and indulgences.

The inspiration for this recipe comes from Aimee's blog called ShugarySweets. I tweaked the dish a little so that there was a little less gluten and less fat.

So, for the crust you'll need 2 cups of mini Nilla Wafers, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, melted. In a food processor, pulse the sugar and wafers. Then add the melted butter and pulse. Press crumb mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

For the cheesecake filling you'll need two 8 oz packages of softened neufchatel cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 large eggs, 3 drops lemon essential oil, and lemon zest. Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer and combine until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Pour filling over crust.

For the cookie layer, beat together 3/4 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup of sugar for 2 minutes. Next, add one large egg, and 1 tsp vanilla and beat until combined. Add in 1 cup of all purpose flour and 1 cup of almond flour. Mix in 1 teaspoon of tapioca starch and blend. Pour 8 oz or so of white chocolate chips and mix that cookie dough up. Finally, drop big spoonfuls on top of the filling. Spread what you can. Bake on 350 for 35 minutes until lightly browned. The middle will still be jiggly. Cool completely and refrigerate over night.

You guys, this is delicious! Now, I can only recommend ingesting Young Living Lemon Essential Oil. I cannot with a clear conscience advocate putting any other essential oil brand into your body. I am already weary about ingesting oils, but I only trust Young Living. Find out why here.