Peanut Butter Chocolate Dessert

One of the most amazing combinations of flavors in the world is chocolate and peanut butter. It is so rich and satisfying and goes great with a big glass of milk to wash it all down.

My mother recently made a wonderful Peanut Butter Chocolate Dessert recipe she found in a Taste of Home Quick Cooking magazine. The recipe was provided by Debbie Price from LaRue, OH and won 1st Place in a contest back in 2002 for the magazine. When I saw how much everyone loved this dessert, I knew I had to make it for my company picnic. Everyone loved it there too!!

As you will notice in the picture, when clicking on the link above, there are several layers of delicious ingredients that you will dig into when eating this dessert. Each level is so easy to make and the best thing is it doesn’t require any cooking. You will definitely save time without the cooking. When you are finished assembling the layers, you simply cover and put in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Now let me take you through the taste experience of this dessert. As your fork sinks into each layer then makes its way to your mouth you will be about to enjoy a peanut butter and chocolate creation out of this world! The first layer is a creamy chocolate mixture of chocolate pudding, milk, confectioners’ sugar and whipped cream, then you bite into a crunchy layer of chopped miniature peanut butter cups as you make your way to the creamy peanut butter blend of peanut butter (of course), cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and whipped cream then finally down to the crust of crushed sweet cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies and melted butter to hold it all together. Mmmmmm….does that sound good or what?

I know you’re all dying to learn the recipe so you can run out to the store to buy the ingredients, so here it is:

20 Chocolate cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, divided
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
½ cup peanut butter
1-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, divided
1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
15 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
1 cup cold milk
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate fudge pudding mix

Crush 16 cookies; toss with the butter. Press into an ungreased 9-in. square dish. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and 1 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with peanut butter cups. In another mixing bowl, beat the milk, pudding mix and remaining confectioners' sugar on low speed for 2 minutes. Fold in remaining whipped topping. Spread over peanut butter cups. Crush remaining cookies; sprinkle over the top. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Yield: 12-16 servings.

In closing, I would just like to say, the dessert you are about to enjoy may cause serious indulgent tendencies and create the sudden urge to lock yourself in a closet with the entire dish so no one else can have any. Eat at your own risk!!

Triple Chocolaty Goodness!!

First, let me just say, anything with ‘Triple Chocolate’ has got to be good!! This cookie will melt in your mouth and have you begging for more. The cookie I’m referring to is Ellie Krieger’s ‘Triple Chocolate Cookie’. She has a show on the Food Network called ‘Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger’. She’s a registered dietitian and her show focuses on making healthy meals. All of her recipes include nutritional information too, just in case you’re watching those calories. I’ve tried a few of her other recipes and they’re pretty tasty too. Her ‘Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes’ are scrumptious. Be sure to check her out on the Food Network.

Now back to the cookie. I was overwhelmed with the incredible taste of this simple dessert. I can’t believe something this sweet and chocolaty is actually good for you, in moderation of course. I’m sure if I ate an entire plateful I wouldn’t be feeling too great. The amount of chocolate that’s in your mouth with every bite is amazing. There’s cocoa powder in the dough and a mixture of dark and milk chocolate pieces in the cookie. I used Dove dark miniatures and semi-sweet morsels because that’s what I had on hand. I also omitted the pecans the recipe called for.




It’s healthy for you too, as it’s made with canola oil, which is low in saturated fat and a combination of whole-wheat flour and white flour. Whole-wheat flour has fewer calories and carbohydrates than white flour, and it contains five times the fiber, twice the calcium, and 25 percent more protein than white flour. (Source: howstuffworks)

I have to say, the best part of eating any chocolate chip cookie is having one right out of the oven when they’re hot and gooey and the chocolate melts all over the place. I’ll even throw them in the microwave throughout the week to get that fresh out of the oven experience.

This cookie is definitely a winner and I would recommend it for any occasion and any age group. My 16-year-old son loves them as much as I do.