Recipe Background
Double-Decker Lemon Squares are stacked with zesty layers and ideal to make-ahead.
It was one of those sunlit mornings in Rome where the air feels unusually zesty. I was staying with a lovely host family during a cultural exchange program in college. They were insistent on showcasing the essence of Italian hospitality, which of course included sharing a steady flow of homemade treats. One afternoon, while trying to bridge the gap between cultures, they introduced me to the concept of dessert for breakfast—a thrilling notion to someone used to bacon and eggs. Inspired by their creamy lemon tarts, I found myself dreaming up my own citrusy creation.
Having always enjoyed a well-stocked pantry of baking staples, my return to reality meant concocting recipes out of whatever I had left after a week of being away. With graham cracker crumbs sprinkled with cinnamon, I pressed them into a makeshift crust. I softened some familiar cream cheese and whipped in a splash of lemon extract—a nod to the zestful Italian air. For that dreamy lemon middle, I stirred in a jar of curd I'd stashed away for such citrusy emergencies.
Here’s a tip: when you're layering the cream cheese, let it blend to soft peaks for a dreamy, cloud-like finish. Spread the love and patience into each layer, and refrigerate it overnight. The following day, as I shared these Double-Decker Lemon Squares with friends, it felt like Rome had come alive in my own kitchen.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 3/4 cups sugar divided
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cups butter melted
- 2 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese softened
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 (10-ounce) jars of lemon curd or 1 (15.75-ounce) can of lemon pie filling
Directions
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the cinnamon.
- Stir in the butter.
- Reserve half of the graham cracker mixture for the topping.
- Press the remaining graham cracker mixture onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- In a different large bowl, beat the cream cheese and the remaining sugar until smooth.
- Gradually beat in the heavy whipping cream and the lemon extract to the cream cheese mixture until soft peaks form.
- Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the graham cracker crust.
- Gently spread the lemon curd over the cream cheese layer.
- Spread the remaining cream cheese mixture over the lemon curd.
- Sprinkle with the reserved graham cracker mixture.
- Refrigerate, covered, for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
- Slice into bars.
- Serve.
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