Lemon Supreme Bars

Adapted from Taste of Home's Lemon Supreme Pie

Print Recipe

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 10

Chilling 8

Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

Crumb Crust

1 ½ cups (30 wafers) vanilla wafers
¼ cup butter, melted

Lemon Filling

1 ¼ cups sugar, divided
6 Tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cup water
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp grated lemon zest
4-5 drops yellow food coloring, optional
½ cup lemon juice

Cream Cheese Filling

8-12 ounces cream cheese, softened (this is simply personal preference)
¾ cup confectioner's sugar
1 ½ cups whipped topping half an 8 oz container
1 Tbsp lemon juice
additional whipped topping for final layer or decorative border

Instructions

For crust, in a mixing bowl, add the melted butter to the crumbs and blend well. Press the mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of an ungreased 8x8-inch pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before filling.
For lemon filling, combine 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch and salt in a small saucepan. Stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; add remaining sugar. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter, lemon zest and, if desired, food coloring. Gently stir in lemon juice. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
For cream cheese filling, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and lemon juice. Spread over crust.
Cover cream cheese filling with lemon filling. Refrigerate overnight.
If desired, pipe, dollop, or layer additional whipped topping over lemon filling. Refrigerate until serving.

Notes

A shortbread crust could be used instead of the crumb crust.

Bazaar Pies: Use two pre-made 9" graham cracker crusts, make two batches of cream cheese filling (one batch per pie), and one batch of lemon filling. Fill crusts with cream cheese filling and then ladle cooled lemon filling over top. Don't overfill pies. Refrigerate as directed.