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A slice of lemon lush
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Lemon Lush

Lemon lush is a creamy, delicious layered dessert. It consists of a homemade shortbread crust, a rich cream cheese layer, and a velvety lemon layer.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword lemon dessert recipes, lemon layered dessert recipes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 584kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Cream Cheese Layer:

  • 2 (8-ounce) packs cream cheese
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream

Lemon Pudding Layer:

  • 2 (3.4-ounce) boxes lemon instant pudding mix and pie filling
  • 3 cups milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick baking spray.

Make Shortbread Crust:

  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the flour (2 cups) and butter (1 cup) until it resembles a coarse meal.
    How to make lemon lush step 1, Make Shortbread Crust: process the flour and butter until it resembles coarse meal.
  • Add the sugar (1/4 cup) and pecan (1 cup) and process until it's cut in.
    How to make lemon lush with shortbread crust step 2, Add the sugar and pecan and and process.
  • Press into baking pan. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Let the crust cool. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining layers.
    How to make lemon lush delight step 3, Press into baking pan. Bake.

Make Cream Cheese Layer:

  • In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer set on high, beat cream cheese (2 packs), lemon zest (2 teaspoons) and juice (3 tablespoons), and powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups) until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
    How to make lemon lush lasagna step 4, Make Cream Cheese Layer: Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.
  • In another large mixing bowl, add heavy cream (3 cups) and with the mixer on a high beat until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
  • Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Spread mixture over crust; freeze until set, about 10 minutes.
    How to make lemon lush with shortbread crust step 5, Spread mixture over crust. Freeze until set.

Make Pudding Layer:

  • In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer set on low, beat together lemon pudding (2 boxes) and milk (3 cups) together and beat for 2 to 4 minutes, until the pudding has slightly thickened. If the mixture hasn't started to thicken, place it in the refrigerator until it has.
  • Spread the slightly thickened pudding mixture over the cream cheese layer. Chill until pudding sets slightly, about 15 minutes.
    How to make lemon lush step 6, Make Pudding Layer: Spread slightly thickened pudding mixture over cream cheese layer. Chill until pudding sets slightly.

Whipped Cream Topping:

  • In an even layer, add the remaining whipped cream over the set pudding layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or better, overnight.
    lemon lush delight in a casserole dish

Notes

  1. Cream Cheese: Your cream cheese should be softened before getting started on your cream cheese mixture. It helps to pull it out about 30 minutes beforehand and cut it up into little cubes. If you forget to pull it out, Better Homes & Gardens offers a couple of quick softening techniques you can try.
  2. Folding: Gently fold in your whipped topping (always add light to heavy when folding). Use a large bowl with a flexible rubber spatula and be gentle. This will help keep your mixture light and fluffy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 584kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 201mg | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1469IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 125mg