from Yahoo Food........
and Daniel Dedmon--Chapel Hill Baking Examiner
Dessert to make for Thanksgiving
"Mystery Dessert" is a luscious, layered treat that would fit in with a Thanksgiving menu!
photo: lovoffood.com
According to the calendar, Thanksgiving is about three weeks away. Everyone has a favorite dish to go with the holiday turkey. Many families have a traditional assortment of recipes that they follow for the big feast and many of those recipes are only made at the holidays. In our family, there is a standard set of dishes that are reserved just for Thanksgiving. It's having them only at the holidays that makes us appreciate them more when we make and serve them.
Some years ago, Helen Moore, the food editor of "The Charlotte Observer", inquired with two of her grandchilden what they would like to have for Thanksgiving that year. One of them requested the recipe I'm sharing today, called "Mystery Dessert." Helen stated in her article that she made this for Thanksgiving and it was gobbled up in a hurry.
As to why this is called "Mystery Dessert" is really a "mystery" to me! There's no explanation as to why this dessert has this name. The only reason I can come up with is that the layering of the ingredients has people guessing as to what all is in it. It begins with a buttery, shortbread-type crust. It's then topped with a mixture of cream cheese, powdered sugar and whipped topping. This is then followed by chocolate pudding, then more whipped topping. For the finale, it can be topped with chopped nuts or grated chocolate.
One big advantage to this dessert is that it's to be made ahead, so it can even be made the day before. It's best served when it's well-chilled, so make certain to start on this ahead of time. This makes enough to serve between six and eight, but if you expect everyone to be very full after the main meal, your guests may want a very small serving. Therefore, it would make the dessert go further.
Last year at this time, I shared a collection of recipes for dressing, which is an absolute necessity at Thanksgiving! In case you missed it, here's the link:
So, make a list of what you and your family would like for the holiday feast and plan a cooking schedule. Meantime, try this "mysterious" dessert!
MYSTERY DESSERT
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz) carton whipped topping, such as Cool Whip
1 cup powdered sugar
2 small packages instant chocolate pudding
3 cups cold milk
Additional chopped nuts or grated chocolate for garnishing
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz) carton whipped topping, such as Cool Whip
1 cup powdered sugar
2 small packages instant chocolate pudding
3 cups cold milk
Additional chopped nuts or grated chocolate for garnishing
Mix together melted butter, flour and nuts. Press into a 9-inch pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the crust is a pale beige. Watch closely as it doesn't burn. Remove and cool. Cream together the cream cheese, 1 cup of the whipped topping and the powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and gently spread over the crust. Mix the chocolate pudding and milk, mixing according to package directions. Spread over the cream cheese layer. Cover pudding with the remaining whipped topping and garnish with the chopped nuts or grated chocolate. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Serves 6-8.
here is a link to his page for info about Daniel and more good food info:
