Layered Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert

I was looking for a great "cool me down because it's 109 degrees outside" kind of dessert that contains chocolate & peanut butter to serve at a little get-together with my neighbors. The chocolate/peanut butter combo happens to be the absolute favorite of a neighbor that's help me out in more than a few pinches lately and I wanted to give her a small token of my appreciation. I needed something fabulous for this so I went to my own personal recipe go-to source, my Grandmother. (Bet you thought I was going to say Pinterest, didn't you?)

My Grandmother relishes any opportunity to open her much loved recipe box and sift through the time worn, hand written, food stained cards. Each with their own story reflected in the way she gently handles them, the mist of memories in her eyes. I know I've gotten my passion for food from this tiny Montana-bred spitfire, and she has never let me down when I need a really great recipe.

As usual, she did not disappoint. Oreo cookie crust, peanut butter filling, cool whip, & chocolate pie filling with candy clusters chilled in layers. I remember her serving this to me after swim class as a kid. The notes on her recipe card said she got it from an Iron Workers Union Picnic. That made me laugh because I guarantee she stuffed recipe cards in her purse before the picnic. Any potential to add a new recipe to her treasured box and she would whip those puppies out, pen in hand, ready to make kitchen magic.


INGREDIENTS:

• 30 Oreo cookies (or other cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies)
• 2 T. butter, softened
• 1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
• 1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 C. powdered (confectioner's) sugar
• 1 carton (12 oz) Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 pkg 4 peanut butter cups OR 10-15 mini peanut butter cups
• 1 pkg. (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 C. milk

DIRECTIONS:

• For Crust: crush 20 cookies and mix with melted butter. Evenly spread into the bottom of an ungreased 8-in x 8-in square baking dish; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat peanut butter, cream cheese & powdered sugar with electric mixer until creamy & smooth. Spread evenly over cookie crust.
• Divide Cool Whip; evenly spreading half over peanut butter mixture. Set other half aside.
• Crush 5 cookies and chop 2 lg peanut butter cups (or approx. 8 mini peanut butter cups); sprinkle over Cool Whip layer. NOTE: Grandma was also known to add a sliced banana to this layer as an extra flavor kick.
• In another large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk, beat for 2 minutes. Fold in other half of Cool Whip until thoroughly combined. Spread evenly over candy/cookie layer. 
• Crumble remaining cookies and chop remaining peanut butter cups; sprinkle over top of chocolate pudding layer. 
• Chill for at least 2 hours for layers to set before serving - SERVES 12

In no way would I consider this recipe healthy. So for those of us watching our waistline, it's easy to substitute low fat or fat free peanut butter and cream cheese without compromising the flavor. Also substituting sugar free pudding mix reduces the sugar content.

ENJOY! -- Jenn