We live in the deep south which means summer basically runs from early May to mid October. When it’s hot out there’s one thing that I can guarantee — I want to eat and drink foods that are cooling and refreshing.
This Lemon-Lime Layered Dessert is the PERFECT dessert to enjoy on a hot day (or really any day). it starts of with a buttery and nutty shortbread crust, then there’s a whipped cream cheese and vanilla layer, and is topped off with a lemon-lime “curd”. It’s heaven in a dessert.
The recipe doesn’t require a lot of hands on time, however make sure you allow for adequate cooling and chilling time for each layer.
Lemon-Lime Layered Dessert
Ingredients
1/2 cup cold salted butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups whipped topping (plus additional for garnish)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water, divided
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.Cut butter into the flour with a pastry knife (or two forks) until it resembles coarse meal. Stir the nuts into the flour mixture and press into a 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Fold in the whipped topping. Once combined, spread over the crust move to the refrigerator to chill.
In a medium saucepan, comine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and 1/4 cup of the water. Stir until well combined. Next, stir in the eggs, vinegar, lime juice, and remaining water. Make sure this mixture is well combined. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. Once it reaches a boil, continue to stir and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter and lemon extract. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Spread the lemon-lime filling over the cream cheese layer and let chill. Serve with additional whipped topping if desired.