Chocolate Pudding Dessert

As a child, this was my very favorite dessert. My mom always let us choose our birthday dessert and I remember many a birthday where this was chosen by me or one of my siblings.

Chocolate Pudding Dessert

1 Lg. package Cook & Serve (not instant!) chocolate pudding
1 Sm. package Cook & Serve (not instant!) chocolate pudding

Follow directions on package to cook pudding. Set aside (I often cook my pudding the day before and leave it in the fridge overnight).

For the crust:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix together ...

2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1.5 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans.)

and press combined ingredients into a 9 X 13 pan, pressing down firmly. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool when finished.

Mix together one 8 oz. package of cream cheese (at room temperature) and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Fold into 12 oz of Cool Whip (I actually make my own homemade whip cream--it tastes a lot better). Add in layers with the pudding over the crust--cream cheese mixture first. Once all the layers are added, swirl the layers together with a spatula and then smooth out the top. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve (best if cooled for several hours).