Layered Chocolate Pie Dessert

If you are plum fresh out of ideas for something to take to a soon coming Christmas gathering, then I urge you to take this. This, Heaven in a Pan, AKA Layered Chocolate Pie Dessert. AKA Robert Redford Dessert. AKA DELICIOUS NO MATTER WHAT YOU CALL IT!! It's creamy, it's rich (but not too rich!) and it's a refreshing change from pies and cookies (not that I'm complaining about pies and cookies!). I doubt you'll have leftovers when you do make this for your family gathering, and if...IF you have leftovers, it's a perfectly acceptable next day breakfast.

At least that's what I told myself...

Because over the holidays calories don't count :)

And because I'm 5 months pregnant, so that kind of thing is acceptable ;)

Ingredients...

Crust:
...2 c. flour
...1 1/2 sticks butter
...1/2 c. nuts (I used chopped pecans, and they're not pictured)

Mix all three ingredients together and lightly press into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Filling:
...8 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)
...1 c. powdered sugar
...1/2 tub Cool Whip

Mix these three ingredients together and spread over top of the cooled crust.

Pudding:
...2 (3 oz) boxes of chocolate pudding mix
...3 c. milk

Mix pudding and milk together according to package directions. Spread over the cream cheese layer.

Topping:
...1 tub Cool Whip
...Crushed Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (or nuts, shaved chocolate...anything goes really)

Spread Cool Whip over pudding layer and then sprinkle crushed (insert what you're using here) over the Cool Whip. Refrigerate until serving time.