Lemon Lush Dessert

For this year's Lenten season, among a few other things, I gave up sweets/dessert/treats.  Let me tell you, this was a tough one.  Not even a taste of chocolate at all (except for that one frozen Moccachino coffee drink, not sure if that counted or not...), it was after all, one of our hot fake Spring days earlier this month.  Okay, then if I am confessing here, there was a maple bar during my traveling in March, right after Ash Wednesday.  Since that was technically breakfast, does that really count?  Really?

Each year since birth, I have always given the girls a new swimsuit in their Easter baskets, to launch the beginning of a new summer season, but since they just got new ones at Christmas, I decided to change it up this year...and yes, they are twenty years old and still getting baskets from me.  I know!

As they are graduating from one college next month and moving on to new universities in the fall, they both got a set of tee shirt sheets for their upcoming new residences.

Since I was not baking desserts for the past six months, which gave me a little more time, I have been having so much fun with my stamps that my Grandmother passed down to me.  I also received another whole set from a mom friend.  I had to buy a drawer organizer for everything....I could open my own stamp classes and studio with all these goodies now!

When Easter did come around I jumped on this new lemon dessert.  It was so perfect at our Easter dinner.  It is so luscious and creamy!  I am all about anything shortbread, so this salty crust with the sweet filling and topping was wonderful.

One comment from my critics though....(a.k.a. the family), it wasn't tart enough.  Next time, I think I will add some lemon zest to the shortbread crust and also add a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice to the pudding mixture and see if that will make them pucker up enough for their tastes!

Lemon Lush Dessert

Courtesy of Cooks Home

1-1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup butter

1/4 cup pecans, chopped, plus extra for topping

8 ounce cream cheese, softened

16 ounces, Cool Whip

1 cup powdered sugar

4 small (3.4 ounce) boxes lemon instant pudding

5 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut butter into flour with a pastry cutter.  Mix well and add pecans.  Pat into the bottom of a prepared 9x13 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool.

Whip together cream cheese and the powdered sugar.  Fold in half of the cool whip (8 ounces).  Spread over cooled crust.

Combine lemon pudding and milk.  Beat until thick.  Spread over cream cheese layer.

Spoon and swirl the remaining cool whip on top of pudding.  Sprinkle with pecans.

Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

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Four Years Ago: Derby Day Delights

Five Years Ago: Alouette Pizzette