Chocolate Eclair Dessert

I had never heard of Chocolate Eclair Dessert before until I visited my aunt Jolene in Houston a few years ago. As soon as I took that first bite, I knew this would be a recipe that I would frequently make.

If you’re looking for a fancy-looking, comfort food-tasting, easy-to-make dessert for a crowd, this is a winner. Tonight we had life groups at our church and so I brought this, and the pan was gone by the time I got home in just a few hours!

While the name, “chocolate eclair” sounds elegant, making this dish is not complex…it’s actually a NO-BAKE dessert! All you need are graham crackers, instant pudding mix, milk and cocoa to make this pretty, layered dessert.

Word to the wise: make this a day before you actually plan on eating it. That is, if you can wait that long!!! Allowing it to sit in the refrigerator lets the graham crackers soften and absorb the pudding mixture.

Enjoy…it is soooo good!

chocolate eclair dessert

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

2 (3.5 oz) boxes instant vanilla (or french vanilla) pudding
3 1/4 cups skim milk, divided
1 (12 oz) container Cool Whip
Graham crackers
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

FOR THE FILLING: Combine pudding mix and 3 cups of milk; beat. Stir in Cool Whip.
Place layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch dish. Spread 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Repeat with another layer of graham crackers and pudding; then top with a final layer of graham crackers.
FOR THE TOPPING: Bring cocoa, 1/4 cup milk and sugar to a full rolling boil; boil about 1 minute, stirring very frequently. Remove from heat and cool one minute. Add butter and vanilla; stir until butter is melted.
Pour chocolate topping over the top layer of graham crackers.
Refrigerate overnight.

“Dirt” Cups

Have you ever eaten dirt? No, I’m not talking about dirt from your backyard, I mean Oreo “dirt” pudding cups.

As a kid, I would help my mom make dirt pudding since it was so easy. My sister helped too. She would go out in the backyard to dig up real dirt! I can’t remember if Brittany was serious or being funny. Haha.

Last weekend I was craving something sweet, something that contained Oreos, and something that was semi “healthy”. Well, these dirt pudding cups satisfied that craving! I used skim milk paired with non-fat instant Jell-O and bought fat-free Cool Whip to “lighten” things up.

Like I mentioned, “dirt” is super-simple to make! Instant pudding speeds up the process, and from start to finish, you can probably be eating these in about 10 minutes. Kids will also enjoying eating and making these!

Combine milk and instant pudding mix until thick. Let stand 5 minutes.

Add Cool Whip and crushed Oreos.

Stir until combined.

Pour pudding mixture into individual mason jars.

Top with crushed Oreos.

Don’t forget to add the gummy worm!

“Dirt” Cups
Ingredients
2 cups cold milk (we used Skim milk)
1 (4 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding
8 oz. frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed
1 1/2 cups crushed Oreos
10 gummy worms

Directions
1. Whisk together the milk and instant pudding for two minutes, until pudding is completely dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in frozen whipped topping and 1/2 cups of the crushed Oreos
3. Spoon into 10 individual cups or mason jars. (If you’re feeling creative, use mini terra cotta pots).
4. Sprinkle remaining crushed Oreos over the pudding mixture. Top with gummy worms.
5. Chill until ready to serve.

Yield: 10 servings
Recipe from: about.com

Chocolate Pudding

This chocolate pudding is a recipe you need to add to your “to-bake” list. My husband was craving something sweet this weekend, even though I had just made him a batch of Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies! I went rummaging through my cookbooks, and discovered this “healthy” chocolate pudding recipe from a cookbook my mom bought me for Christmas: Cooking Light Way to Bake: The Complete Visual Guide to Healthy Baking – delicious recipes, fresh healthy ingredients, smart tools & techniques.

Chocolate pudding is the perfect dessert to make for my husband for two reasons:

He LOVES chocolate
He LOVES chocolate pie, but HATES the crust (crazy, I know!)

Well, this dessert was a winner! The pudding was smooth, extra thick, extra creamy, and had a nice milk-chocolate taste you would expect from any good custard. It is also considered “healthy” since the recipe calls for fat-free milk instead of whole milk, and only 2 teaspoons of butter.

I would also recommend this pudding as a lunch-substitute… and here is why: I gave my Dad a container of chocolate pudding when he came to visit me at work yesterday. Before arriving, he had been to the dentist to fill a cavity. His mouth was still partially numb from the novocaine, so he skipped lunch. Later than evening when he called me, I asked if he had tried the pudding.

He responded, “It’s gone.”

“What do you mean it’s gone?” I asked.

“I ate it all.” He said.

To my surprise, I found out that he had eaten almost all of the pudding for lunch and said that it was outstanding! Makes since to me…when my mouth is sore or numb, the first thing I want to eat is pudding.

Before I give you the step-by-step instructions, here are some final tips, found in Cooking Light Way to Bake, about making pudding.

Recommendations:

Tempering is a process that combines a hot liquid with a cool one, protecting the delicate eggs from coagulating/clumping too quickly. (Be very careful…I nearly coagulated my eggs!)
Pudding is thick enough with it coats the back of spoon.
Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a thin, rubbery skin from developing on top.

P.S. Sorry about the photographs. The lighting in my kitchen would not cooperate with my camera this time!

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl.

Combine 1/2 cup milk and egg yolks, stirring well with a whisk.

Add egg yolk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring well.

Temper egg yolk mixture with milk, then pour into milk mixture. Return pan to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute.

Add chocolate, vanilla, and butter. Pour pudding into individual ramekins and refrigerate until chilled.

Top with a dollop of whipped cream!

Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups fat-free milk, divided
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions
1. Place 2 cups milk in a medium, heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
2. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk and egg yolks, stirring well a whisk. Add egg yolk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring well. Gradually add half of hot milk to egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.
3. Return milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
4. Add butter, vanilla, and chocolate, stirring until butter and chocolate melt.
5. Spoon pudding into a bowl. Place bowl in a large ice-filed bowl for 15 minutes or until pudding cools, stirring occasionally. (I skipped this step.) Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap; chill.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)
Recipe from: Cooking Light Way to Bake: The Complete Visual Guide to Healthy Baking – delicious recipes, fresh healthy ingredients, smart tools & techniques

Cranberry-Maple Pudding Cake

This is a wonderful cranberry dessert that is perfect any time of of the year, especially during the holidays. I don’t remember when we actually made this dessert for the first time, but I do remember the little “catastrophe” that followed….

My husband, Matt and I were over at my parents’ house back in 2010 for a Sunday lunch. My dad normally grills out when we come over, and I remember my mom, sister and I put together this delicious cranberry-maple pudding cake at the last minute. After a satisfying lunch, we were ready to go home. With leftover food in his hands, Matt carried out the pudding cake, car keys, and some of my “stuff” to the car. Unfortunately, the dessert would never make it home…

The cranberry dessert slipped from Matt’s hands, and fell to it’s final destination, the concrete driveway, producing broken casserole dish pieces galore. Okay, I may be exaggerating a little, but we were certainly not going to eat the leftovers in fear that we might swallow some broken glass! Disappointed as we were, I guess we saved ourselves some calories that night, and the next few days as well!

For Christmas this year, we thought we’d whip up this lovely dessert once again. This time, there was no clumsiness and I fully enjoyed leftover cranberry-maple pudding cake for the next week.

As far as taste, this dessert is sure to please those that like cooked fruit (not my dad). The maple syrup calms down the tart cranberries and creates a slightly sweet and delectable flavor. I am reminded of a cobbler with a sweet cornbread taste, juicy fruit, and an interestingly irresistible texture. Top it with a simple squirt of Reddi-wip, a dollop Cool Whip, or my favorite… a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, and you’ve got yourself a crowd pleaser.

Enjoy!

Cranberry-Maple Pudding Cake

Ingredients
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup pure maple syrup (grade B or grade A dark amber)
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 tsp. finely grated orange peel
pinch plus 1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Creme fraiche, softly whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream

Directions
1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Combine first 4 ingredients and a pinch of salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat.
2. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt in medium bowl.
3. Whisk egg and sugar in another medium bowl. Whisk milk, melted butter, and vanilla into egg mixture. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; whisk to blend.
4. Pour warm cranberry mixture into 11 x 7 x 2-inch or 8 x 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour batter over.
5. Bake cake until golden and cranberry mixture bubbles at edges, about 28 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Serve cake warm topped with creme fraiche whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Recipe from: Gourmet Magazine

4 Layer Pudding Dessert

Merry Christmas!!! I made this 4 Layer Dessert for Christmas and it was a hit in our family. My parents had never tried this before, but loved it. My sister, who is very strict in what she eats even had a slice! Below, is a funny story about how this dessert means so much to my husband, Matt.

Paula’s 4 Layer Dessert is one of Matt’s all-time favorites! When Paula, Matt’s mother, would come down to watch him play football at Texas A&M, she would bring this dessert for him and his two roommates, Chance and Trevor.

After a couple of trips to College Station, Trevor started craving Paula’s dessert and requested the recipe. Trevor then started making this dessert for the three roommates. One evening after Trevor made the 4 Layer Dessert, he and Matt went to lift weights. By the time they arrived back home, Chance, the other roommate, had eaten the entire 9 x 13-inch pan, washed it, dried it, and put it back in its place.

When Matt and Trevor returned, they looked all over the kitchen for the dessert. They had no clue where it had gone! Eventually they found out what Chance had done, and were furious! Still to this day the story is told over and over again. Chance is quite a bit larger than Matt and Trevor, so they choose their fights wisely. (Chance went on to play in the NFL for the Houston Texans.) It is a tradition that whenever Matt’s roommates come visit, Paula’s 4 Layer Dessert is always on the menu!

Enjoy!

Cream together the butter, flour, and chopped pecans.

Press into 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.

Beat together cream cheese, cool whip, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

Pour over cooled crust.

Whisk together instant chocolate and vanilla pudding mix with 3 cups cold milk for 2 minutes, until thick. Pour over cream cheese layer.

Top with a layer of Cool Whip.

Garnish with Hershey’s chocolate bar shavings.

4 Layer Pudding Dessert

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large package (5.9 oz) instant Jell-O chocolate pudding
1 small package (3.4 oz) instant Jell-O vanilla pudding
3 cups cold milk
8 oz Cool Whip
chocolate shavings

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine butter, flour, and pecans together and press into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then cool.
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, 1 to 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip, and vanilla extract together. Pour over cooled crust.
Whip together chocolate and vanilla instant pudding mixes with cold milk according to package directions. Pour over cream cheese layer.
Top pudding layer with Cool Whip.
Garnish with Hershey’s chocolate bar shavings for decoration. Chill and keep refrigerated.