Lemon Cheese Pie

• 1 lemon
• 1 8-oz package of cream cheese, cut up and softened
• 1 3-oz package of cream cheese, cut up and softened
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 C. cottage or ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs beaten
• Lemon Peel Strips (optional)

Preheat oven to 450*F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry. Trim and crimp edges, if desired. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil. Bake at 450*F oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 4-5 minutes more or until set and dry. Set aside. Reduce temperature to 350*F.

Using a fine shredder, remove yellow peel from the lemon; set peel aside. Peel and cut up lemon removing the seeds; set aside.

In a food processor bowl or blender container, combine the cream cheese, sugar, cottage cheese vanilla shredded lemon peel and cut up lemon. Cover and process or blend until smooth, stopping to push the mixture down as needed.

In a large bowl place the beaten eggs. Using a wooden spoon, stir cheese mixture into eggs. Pour into baked pastry shell. Bake at 350*F oven for 35-40 minutes or until center appears nearly set when shaen.

Cool on a wire rack for one hour. cover and chill at least 4 hours before servig. If desired, garnish with lemon peel strips.

Make 8 servings.