Lemon Cream Cheese Dessert

Lemon Cream Cheese Dessert                                                          Printable Recipe

1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, cold
8 ounce package light cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
8 ounce container whipped topping, divided
2 - 3.4 ounce packages lemon instant pudding mix
2 3/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut butter into flour using a pastry cutter.  You can also use a sturdy fork.  Pieces should be about pea size. Larger is OK, you just don't want any whole pieces of plain butter left.

Press into 8.5 x 11 inch baking dish. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until just lightly brown. Cool.  I baked mine the night before and allowed to cool over night.

Place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Beat until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat again.

 Add 1 cup whipped topping to cream cheese mixture and beat just until combined.

 Spread over cooled crust.

Combine pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl. Beat until thickened. Spread on top of cream cheese layer. ( My farm fresh goat milk was a little runnier to start but firmed up by the time we were ready to eat it.)

 I waited until our pudding was firm before topping with the remaining whipped topping.  You should be fine to add yours right away.

Chill for 2 hours or better yet all day.  I found that even a day or so later that the crust was still crispy!!

I think this would be delightful as a mini dessert. You could buy premade shortbread cookies to place in the bottom or bake the shortbread bottom of this dessert, break it up and use it instead.  Also, you could substitute your favorite flavor of pudding for the lemon.