A lot of people asked for the recipe. Here you go.

How about an incredibly delicious dessert that’s amazing to look at and easy as, well…pie?

‘Fact is, this dessert is known by a variety of names – and there are lots of variations on the recipe. This is the one I’ve used for years.

Here’s what you’ll need for the crust:

  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour

  • ½ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 1 ½ cup of finely chopped pecans

  • Pinch of salt

Combine well and press into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish,
although I prefer a large springform pan.

Bake at 350℉ for 20 minutes and let the crust cool completely.

Here’s what you’ll need for the filling:

  • 2 cups of thawed Cool Whip or other dessert topping, divided

  • 8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar

  • 2 small boxes of instant chocolate pudding

  • 3 cups of milk

  • Squeeze of lemon

  • Chocolate shavings or sprinkles

Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar together with a blender until smooth, then fold in one cup of Cool Whip. Spread over the crust. Then make the chocolate pudding according to the directions on the box, and add that dash of lemon juice. Allow it to soft-set in the fridge, then spread over the cream cheese/sugar layer. Top that with your remaining Cool Whip, cover with saran wrap and put it in the fridge to thoroughly chill until serving.

When it’s time to eat, sprinkle the shavings on the topping. If you’ve used a baking dish, you’ll see the beautiful layers through the sides – and it looks even better on the plate. But if you really want to make people gasp, use a springform pan. That way when you unlock the pack and lift off the sides, you’ll get a a free-standing marvel of layered chocolate yumminess.

Maybe even more fun is that depending on how much cream cheese mixture and filling you want to make, you can add as many layers as you want. This recipe is for four “ribbons” – crust, cream cheese, filling and topping – but I’ve used deeper pans and used six alternating cream cheese and filling layers before topping it off. The more you stack, the more impressive it becomes.

Not only does it look like something you’d find at a fine restaurant, it tastes even better. Perfect for holiday tables, birthdays, and especially that office party or church social.

By the way, this dessert will keep for a few days in the fridge, provided any of it survives that long. Mark my words, though: it won’t.

And no fair sneaking into the kitchen for a bite after everyone is asleep, either.

Bon appetit.

Jody

12.27.18