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–+ servings
David Murphy

Red, White, and Blue Lush

A festive layered red white and blue lush with a baked shortbread crust, blue cheesecake layer, red cheesecake pudding layer, and Cool Whip topping. An easy make-ahead 4th of July dessert that feeds a crowd from one 9x13 pan.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
6 hours
Servings: 15 Servings
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Calories: 390

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 16 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • Blue gel food color
  • 2 3.4 oz 3.4 oz. packages of cheesecake pudding mix
  • 3 cups milk
  • Red gel food color
  • 8 ounces cool whip
  • 1 tbsp 4th of July sprinkles optional

Instructions
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to cut the butter and flour together, until combined, light and crumbly.
  3. Press this mixture into the bottom of the baking dish.
  4. Bake 25 minutes. Allow the crust to cool.
  5. While crust is cooling, In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add a very generous amount of blue gel food coloring, and mix until well combined.
  6. Layer this mixture into the pan over the crust and smooth out evenly. Move this to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
  7. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pudding, milk, and a generous amount of red gel color. Layer this over top of the cream cheese layer.
  8. Finally, add the cool whip, and carefully smooth out evenly.
  9. Move the dessert to the refrigerator to chill for 6 hours, or overnight.
  10. If desired, top with sprinkles before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 6gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 129mgPotassium: 151mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 890IUCalcium: 112mgIron: 1mg

Notes

Pro Tips

  • Soften the cream cheese for real: An hour on the counter minimum. If you press a finger into it and it doesn't leave a dent easily, it's not ready, and no amount of beating will fully rescue lumps.
  • The hot knife trick is not optional: Hot blade, wipe, cut, repeat. It's how bakery cases get those glass-clean layer lines, and it takes 2 extra minutes for a dessert that looks twice as impressive.
  • Chill between every layer when in doubt: The recipe builds in a 30 minute set for the blue layer. If your kitchen is hot, give the red layer a quick 15 in the fridge before the Cool Whip goes on too.
  • Use a glass 9x13 if you have one: The layers are the show, and a clear dish lets people see the stripes from the side before you even cut it.
  • Make it tonight for tomorrow: Overnight chilling sets the layers firmer than the 6 hour minimum, and slicing goes from good to flawless. Party day you will thank party eve you.
  • Freeze it 30 minutes before slicing: If your squares are coming out soft, a half hour in the freezer firms everything up just enough for clean cuts without actually freezing it.

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