If you go with low-voltage xenon fixtures (12 or 24 volt), the code requirements change. You should then be able to place the lamp fixtures where you want and run low voltage wiring directly to them. Our xenon puck lamps are centered in the cabinets (F-B, and L-R under each cabinet), recessed into an undercabinet trim panel.

reviewing your question and post
that makes sense now that I'm remembering what my electrican told me about our lights. We ended up using Kichler xenon can't remember if they were low voltage or not. They had a small white box that sat up snug to the wall and then an attached cord that ran from the box to the light which allowed me to puch them forward to the front of the cabinet.
You would think that manufacturers would have solved this problem by now by offering some kind of nice looking conduit that went with the fixture!

Thanks. That must be it--use low volt, but with the trade off of figuring out were the transformer goes. I wonder if there needs to be a special dimmer with low volt? Seems like there is always a trade off between products; if only this forum was required reading for the r & d folks at the manufacturers!

Our low voltage lights run off a 'solid state transformer', basically a high frequency switching power supply. They're small and light in weight. We prewired outlets above the cabinets (hid the power supplies there) and ran the 120V wiring to wall switches. There is a special dimmer that the mfr sells for our system.