We Call It Striped Delight

This is a post about a recipe. But how on earth could I not include these first!?

OK…

This recipe reminds me of my mother’s side of the family. We have it at nearly every gathering, thanks to my aunt Diana. Which reminds me that I’ve been meaning to share with y’all that my maternal grandfather has unfortunately been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He should hear today of the results of a PET scan he had Monday as well as what chemotherapy regimen he will be placed on. My family would love prayers for complete restoration of his health and strength to tolerate the strong doses of chemotherapy. He is pictured below with my grandmother on Christmas Eve.

I’m sure this recipe has other names and other variations… but this is my favorite way to make a delicious dessert that serves a crowd, tastes really good, and is simple.

{entire recipe with measurements & directions available w/printable PDF at bottom}

I make mine with a graham cracker crust with a smidge of cinnamon… which really makes the chocolate come to life— kinda like churros y chocolate.

To the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon, I add a considerable amount of melted butter.

And then I mix it up, mix it up, and throw it in the pan…

And pat it down while the grazers look on in love…

I bake it for a few minutes and then start on the first layer– the cream cheese layer. Which consists of softened cream cheese, sugar, milk, and whipped cream.

Beat the cream cheese, milk, and sugar until creamy. And to that add whipped cream. I prefer homemade whipped cream over the alternative Cool Whip or Whipped Dairy Topping… it’s easy to make and tastes better than it’s impostor!!

I always start with a frozen bowl. Heavy whipping cream likes really cold bowls if it’s going to be whipped.

While it’s whipping I add sugar {just a few tablespoons} and a splash of vanilla extract. When it’s ready it will be thick, stiff and yummy.

Too the cream cheese, milk and sugar you add your whipped cream and combine until creamy. Then spread over your graham cracker crust. 

Now, the chocolate layer– which is simply  instant chocolate pudding and milk. I blend mine in the blender and pour it on before it sets. 

A good photographer would have removed the miscellaneous items from behind the Jello. The offset spatula will make this job easy but a butter knife  works too! 

Once your pudding has set {I actually let mine sit over night} you top it with the whipped cream {which I also refrigerated over night}. My whipped cream wasn’t quite whipped to it’s full potential so I whipped it again {which works great}.

And last but certainly not least… I’ll let pictures speak for themselves.

Or, if you’d rather copy and paste:

Striped Delight
Crust:
3 C finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
½ C white sugar
¾ C {1 ½ sticks} melted butter
½ t cinnamon {heaping tsp}
Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended. Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-10 minutes. Cool completely.
Filling:
1 {8 ounce} package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cold milk
1 (12 ounce) tub whipped topping, thawed, divided or heavy whipped cream {recipe below}
3 1/4 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4 serving size) Jello Chocolate Instant Pudding
1 dark chocolate candy bar for garnish

Beat cream cheese, sugar and 2 Tbsp. milk in medium bowl well blended. Stir in 1 & 1/4 cups of the whipped topping. Spread evenly over crust.

Pour 3-1/4 cups milk into large bowl or blender and add dry pudding mixes. Beat 2 min. or until well blended in blender. Pour over cream cheese layer. Let stand 5 min. or until thickened. Drop remaining whipped topping/whip cream by spoonfuls over pudding layer; spread to evenly cover pudding. Before serving, grate chocolate bar and sprinkle generously over top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and keep leftovers in fridge. Yields 12 huge servings or 24 smaller servings.

Whipped Cream:
1 pint {or 2 C} heavy whipping cream
2 T sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Be sure to pop your bowl & whisk/beaters in freezer for a few minutes for best results. Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form. You can adjust sugar/vanilla amounts to your liking. Do not over beat. If you under beat you can beat again before serving or using. You will likely have a little left over—2 cups of heavy whipping cream will yield 4 cups of whipped cream—but don’t worry it won’t be around long!