Coconut Cream or Peanut Butter Dessert

Preheat oven to 350 F.

For the crust: Mix margarine and flour together in a small bowl. Press into a 9×13 pan and bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely.

If you are doing a flavored dessert, see note below before proceeding with the pudding.

For the pudding: In a medium sized bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add 1/4 cup sugar. Slowly beat in the milk, then add the instant pudding mix and beat for 2 minutes. Pour over the crust. Chill 2-4 hours but not overnight. Spread Cool Whip on top.

Note regarding the flavor options:

For a coconut cream dessert, sprinkle half of the coconut on the crust before adding the pudding layer. Then add the remaining coconut on top of the Cool Whip. Optional: add 2 tsp. coconut flavoring to the cream cheese mixture.

For a peanut butter dessert, process the peanut butter and icing sugar together to make crumbs. Sprinkle half on the crust before adding the pudding layer, then sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top of the Cool Whip.

Note: See my recipe box for a version made in a 13×18 (Costco) baker’s half pan.