Recipe: Lemon Cheese Pie and Lemon Cheesecake with Coconut Crust (both using cottage cheese and pudding mix)

LEMON CHEESE PIE

1 pkg. lemon pudding mix (no instant)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water, divided use
1 egg
3/4 cup light cream (half and half)
2 cups curd cottage cheese, sieved
1 lemon, juice from
graham cracker crust

Combine pudding mix, sugar and 1/4 cup water in saucepan. Add egg and blend well. Add remaining 3/4 cup water and the cream. Cook stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil and is thick. Cool 5 minutes.

Add cottage cheese and juice of 1 lemon. Pour into graham cracker crust. Chill.

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LEMON CHEESECAKE PIE WITH COCONUT CRUST

FOR THE CRUST:
1 cup coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans (plus some for garnish)
2 tbsp. butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING:
2 cups cottage cheese
2 small pkgs. instant lemon pudding
1 3/4 cups milk
2 tbsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 cup sour cream (for topping)

TO PREPARE THE CRUST:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the crust ingredients in small bowl, mixing well. Press into bottom and sides of 9 inch pie plate.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden; set aside to cool.

FOR THE FILLING:
Beat cottage cheese in bowl until smooth.

Prepare pudding mixes using package directions combining both boxes of the dry mix with the 1 3/4 cups milk.

Combine prepared pudding, cottage cheese, and lemon peel, blending well. Spoon into pie shell. Top with sour cream and additional pecans. Chill for several hours.