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Walnut Topped Cream Cheese Wedges

This unique treat fits somewhere between a pizzookie and a tart. It's a simple, sweet crumb crust smothered with a zesty lemon cream cheese mixture and sprinkled with a nut-crumb topping.

Servings

32 wedges

Level

Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) Challenge European Style Unsalted Butter, cold and cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 8 ounces Challenge Cream Cheese
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • 2
    Lightly butter just the sides of two 9-inch round cake pans (or one 9x13” pan).
  • 3
    Combine flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup. Divide the remaining crumb mixture between the 2 round cake pans and press crumb mixture evenly into the pans.
  • 4
    Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg and lemon zest, mixing until well blended. Blend in lemon juice. Spread evenly over crust mixture in pans. Combine reserved crumb mixture with nuts and sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture.
  • 5
    Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown.
  • 6
    Cool. Cut into wedges (or bars). Store in airtight refrigerated container.
  •  !
    For the lemon zest use only the thin yellow peel, not the bitter white pith beneath.