All the right attributes

Everyone loves this strawberry pretzel Jell-O. It works as a dessert, or it could be a side dish for a holiday cook-out. It has all the best attributes -- creamy, salty, sweet, crunchy. Note that this dish requires several hours of refrigeration time.

THE RECIPE:

2 c. chopped/crushed pretzels
1/4 c. sugar
2/3 c. butter, melted

8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip

6 oz. package strawberry Jell-O
1 c. boiling water
1 c. cold water
1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced

Chop pretzels in food processor. You'll get a nice mix of chunks and powder. I found about 4 cups whole pretzel sticks reduced to 2 cups chopped. Mix with sugar and butter, then press into 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Place cream cheese and sugar in dish and microwave until soft so sugar can easily be stirred in. Let stand to room temperature. Stir in Cool Whip. Spread over pretzel crust, ensuring that cream mixture reaches edges of baking dish and seals off access to pretzels. Refrigerate several hours.

Stir Jell-O into boiling water until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water, then sliced strawberries. Pour over cream layer, which should be firm enough by now to handle liquid. Arrange strawberries evenly. Refrigerate about 3 hours, or until Jell-O is set.

A taste of my history

This bowl is full of nostalgia for me. My Papa (grandpa), who died when I was 13, used to make this rice pudding. It was his specialty. His mother, my great-grandma Pearl, made it before him. It's a little old-fashioned, but we think it tastes great, and it's creamy goodness is imprinted on the memories of generations of Griffins.

Papa made it in a huge stainless steel salad bowl. It was probably the only thing big enough to hold all the milk. In keeping with tradition, I do the same thing. If you have a baking dish large enough to hold the mixture, feel free to try that instead.

THE RECIPE:

3 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
8 c. whole milk
1 c. uncooked long-grain rice
2 tsp. imitation vanilla (optional)
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large oven-safe bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly, except cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon generously over top. Bake, uncovered, for 2 1/2 hours. Stir once or twice partway through. Pudding is done when rice is tender and milk is mostly absorbed. It will look like there's still a layer of milk on top, but when you stir it, everything comes together in a creamy way. It will thicken a little more as it rests. If you accidentally overcook it, and it's pasty and thick, just add milk. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings.


*NOTE: I have modernized this recipe over the years and reduced the sugar. I use short-grain pearl rice, which chefs will tell you is the preferred rice for making pudding. I use only 3/4 cup sugar, which necessitates reducing the lemon extract to 1/4 or 1/8 teaspoon. I make it in a deep 9x13 pan, and cook it for 90 minutes, whisking once at the halfway time. My kids like to sprinkle fresh or frozen berries on top.

Creamy, buttery, lemony

This is a lovely pie. Lemon chess pie, as it is called, is a cousin to my beloved chocolate chess pie. It tastes like lemon bars instead of the traditional lemon meringue pie. I will definitely make this again. My family gobbled up this pie in no time. The recipe comes from Cook's Country.

THE RECIPE:

5 eggs
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 9-inch pie shell, well chilled
1 tsp. sugar

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon zest, juice, cornmeal and salt. Whisk in butter. Let stand while pie shell cooks so cornmeal can soften.

Poke pie shell all over with fork. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position. Bake shell about 8 minutes, then remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees.

Whisk filling briefly to recombine. Pour into pie shell and bake until surface is light brown and center jiggles slightly when shaken, about 45 to 55 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar. Cool for 4 hours on wire rack before slicing into pie. Refrigerate leftovers.

Secret layer of deliciousness

This was my first time making banana cream pie. I did it for Thanksgiving for my auntie, who said it was her favorite. It turned out awesome! I was so excited when it got rave reviews. The success came because I made something called a black-bottom banana cream pie, which has a layer of chocolate right above the crust. Score! I don't think I could ever eat it any other way now.

I made my own custard, which isn't difficult at all. Any kind of crust will work, but I think the crunch of a chocolate or graham cracker crust is divine.

THE RECIPE:

1 prebaked crust
3 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 c. whole milk
3 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/4 c. cream
1 or 2 Tbsp. sugar
2 ripe but firm bananas
1/4 c. orange juice
2 c. sweetened whipped cream*

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt. Whisk in cornstarch thoroughly. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm milk until almost boiling, stirring frequently. Drizzle hot milk slowly into egg mixture, whisking the whole time. If you do this very patiently, you will temper your eggs gradually and prevent them from scrambling.

Return combined mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool for a few minutes, then place plastic wrap directly onto custard to cool completely. The plastic will prevent the custard from forming a skin.

Combine chocolate, cream and sugar, and microwave in small increments until smooth. Let cool completely, then pour into pie crust. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Cut bananas into 1/4-inch slices. Toss with orange juice, then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Fold bananas into custard, then spread into pie crust. Pipe whipped cream on top as desired.




*Whipped cream doesn't hold up long, so if you need to make this pie in advance, or if you need it to hold up for a long time through a party or extended refrigeration, you should consider stabilizing your whipped cream. This way it will hold up for days. See recipe below.

Stabilized whipped cream:

4 tsp. cold water
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
1 c. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Place cold water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over top and mix in. Let stand for a minute to thicken. This process is called blooming. Microwave gelatin in small bursts, stirring each time, until melted into a translucent liquid.

Start beating cream, sugar and vanilla with mixer until cream starts to thicken. Pour in gelatin and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Makes 2 cups.

Unleash your inner artist

Years ago, I posted this recipe for cornmeal cookies. Click here to see my old post, which contains the recipe. We use clean, fine-tipped craft paintbrushes and dip them in straight food coloring to decorate the cookies. This time around, it was Halloween style! We had so much fun, I thought the recipe deserved another shout-out.

*Note: The recipe calls for finely shredded lemon peel. I didn't have any fresh lemons this time, so I replaced the peel and the vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon lemon extract. Worked perfectly.

Crispy, buttery crumbs

The recipe for this plum tart comes from Ina Garten. It was very easy to make, and the crust was divine. You can substitute peaches or nectarines for the plums, which I will definitely be doing now that my nectarine tree is ready for harvest!

THE RECIPE:

2 c. flour
3/4 c. finely chopped walnuts (not ground -- leave a little texture)
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
12 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg yolk
2 lbs. plums, pitted and quartered (for me, this was 8 plums)
2 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, nuts and sugar, then add butter and egg yolk. Mix with a pastry blender or fork or food processor until crumbly. Press 2 cups of crumbs into bottom of 9-inch springform or tart pan.

Arrange plum quarters, skin side down, in pan. Make a ring of plums around the outside edge and work inward. Sprinkle sugar over plums, then sprinkle remainder of the crumbs evenly over plums. Bake about 40 minutes, or until tart is golden brown and juices are bubbling. Cool, then serve with vanilla ice cream.

Below is a picture of a pastry blender. It's a great tool to have for cutting cold butter into flour:

Chocolate heaven

What you see above is Michelle Snow's flourless chocolate torte -- or what's left of it. Wait a minute, I can't let those crumbs go to waste. Hang on while I leave the computer for a second...

Okay, we'll go back in time and see what it used to look like. This dessert is truly divine. Its texture is almost like cheesecake, and its flavor is rich and deeply satisfying for any chocoholic.

My sweet 20-month-old niece was just diagnosed with celiac disease, so it's wonderful to know she will always have an amazing gluten-free dessert like this to keep her from missing out.

My sweet friend and neighbor Michelle Snow is the author of several books about cooking, food storage and saving money, including "The WOW diet," "It's in the Bag," and "Queen of Common Cents." I will forever be grateful to her for this delicious recipe!

THE RECIPE:


Butter for greasing pan
Cocoa powder for dusting pan
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 c. butter
6 eggs, separated
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place a pie pan on bottom rack of oven. Grease a 10-inch spring-form pan and dust with cocoa. Melt butter and chocolate chips together in microwave. In a large bowl, blend egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer until light yellow and thick. Add chocolate mixture and cocoa and mix well.

In a separate, clean bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until medium-firm peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into chocolate batter, half at a time, until no streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pan and place on middle rack in oven. Pour 1 cup boiling water into pie pan below. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out moist but clean.

Cool torte to room temperature on wire rack. Refrigerate several hours before serving. Garnish as desired: powdered sugar, whipped cream, berries, or nothing at all.



*Note: For a truly gluten-free version, ensure that your chocolate chips are gluten-free and that your vanilla is pure, not imitation.

A pound of perfection

This pound cake is absolutely delicious. Top it with fresh whipped cream and your choice of fruit. We even eat it by itself with a glass of milk. Its sweet, buttery crumb is addictive. I got the recipe from my sister Laura, who has graced many happy family gatherings with its presence.

THE RECIPE:

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sour cream
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix ingredients and pour into greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake cool, then turn onto serving platter. Garnish as desired.

*I am at a high altitude, which may make my baking times different from yours.

Fruit dip

I love dips and sauces. I guess everything is more fun when it's gussied up. My friend Natalie introduced me to this yummy fruit dip. It tastes perfect on apples. Strawberries are a little too juicy and cover up the dip's flavor. Or you could just eat the dip with a spoon...

THE RECIPE:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 oz. yogurt, any flavor
7 oz. marshmallow cream
4 oz. Cool Whip

Beat cream cheese and yogurt with electric mixer. Add marshmallow cream, then Cool Whip. Store in refrigerator. Makes enough for a party.

*Note: I used reduced-fat ingredients.

Fudge

This is a fun and easy way to make two delicious kinds of fudge -- traditional and cookies and cream. These recipes are meant to be shared! A 9x13 pan goes a long way. Fudge is rich, so you can only eat one or two pieces at a time or else you'll be induced into a sugar coma. Hey, Valentine's Day is coming up. It's a perfect time to spread some thick, sweet, creamy love.

THE RECIPE:

Base ingredients:

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
3 c. sugar
1 c. butter, softened
4 c. mini marshmallows
1 Tbsp. imitation vanilla extract

Traditional mix-ins:

2 12-ounce bags semisweet chocolate chips
2 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Cookies and cream mix-ins:

2 12-ounce bags white chocolate chips
20 (at least) chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped into big chunks

Prepare ingredients before starting the cooking process. In a large pot, mix evaporated milk and sugar and bring to boil. Once it starts to boil, set a timer. Cook, stirring constantly, for 7 minutes.

Remove from heat, then quickly stir in butter, marshmallows, vanilla and your choice of chocolate chips. Mix until smooth, then quickly stir in your other mix-in (nuts or cookies). Pour into 9x13 pan and refrigerate at least 3 hours before cutting into squares. Store in air-tight container.

Creamy, crunchy sweetness

Do you like toffee? I absolutely love it. It is a great partner to ice cream. My mother-in-law makes wonderful homemade toffee during Christmastime, but I can't wait around for that. This toffee ice cream crunch cake is a delicious and irresistible alternative!

THE RECIPE:

2 1/2 c. crisp rice cereal
1 1/2 c. sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted
2 8-ounce bags English toffee bits (from the baking aisle)
1 half-gallon vanilla ice cream, very softened*

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In 9x13 pan, mix cereal, coconut, brown sugar and melted butter. Stir in toffee bits and spread evenly in pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until toasty and browned. Let cool completely. Remove half of mixture, then spread out remaining mixture in bottom of pan. Carefully top with softened ice cream, then with reserved mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.

*I let my ice cream sit out for two or three hours. I then stirred it in a mixing bowl so it was thick and creamy and evenly spreadable. Otherwise it would have been melty on the outside and stiff on the inside.

Pacify your chocolate addiction

This week, my husband took all three of my children -- this includes a 6-week-old -- to the library by himself. I thought about running wild around the empty house. But then I thought about this French silk chocolate pie, and I had to make it. The recipe comes from Cook's Country, so you know it will be good. It is rich and thick and creamy and silky. My 7-year-old remarked that she loved the way her teeth felt sinking into its chocolatey goodness. The only drawback is the tired arm from all the mixing.

THE RECIPE:

1 c. heavy cream
3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. water
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 cooked deep-dish pie shell*

Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine eggs, sugar and water in large heat-proof bowl (I used a glass mixing bowl). On stove top, set bowl over medium saucepan containing half an inch of simmering water. Don't let bowl touch water. You are making a kind of double boiler. Beat egg mixture with electric mixer until thickened and heated through, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat several minutes more, until mixture is cooled and fluffy.

Add chocolate and vanilla to cooled egg mixture and beat until incorporated. Beat in butter. Using rubber spatula, fold in whipped cream until no streaks of white remain. Scrape mixture into pie shell and refrigerate at least three hours to set.

*Next time I'll try an Oreo crust.

Creamy goodness

For the Fourth of July, we had to have some red-white-and-blue food. But these yogurt Jell-O cups would work for any party or holiday. Just change the colors and toppings according to your preference. They taste creamy and delicious, they are very cute, and they are beyond easy to make. Next time, however, I won't use paper muffin liners. They weren't firm enough to make a good mold. I will either try the foil liners or just put the Jell-O in individual clear glass dishes for serving.

THE RECIPE:

1 6-ounce package Jell-O, any flavor
1 32-ounce container low-fat vanilla yogurt
12 muffin tin liners
Homemade whipped cream
Berries

Combine dry Jell-O powder and yogurt in microwave-safe dish. Microwave 2-3 minutes, or until powder is completely dissolved. Spoon mixture into muffin tin liners or glass dishes and refrigerate several hours. Decorate as desired.

Tropical summer treat

A great way to end a summer dinner is with a refreshing bowl of pineapple sorbet. It's light and sweet and delicious. It's very easy to make, especially if you have an ice cream maker. If you don't, you'll probably have to partially freeze it, then blend it again, then freeze it again, to create the necessary air bubbles.

THE RECIPE:

1 fresh, ripe pineapple
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Remove pineapple skin and core. Cut pineapple into chunks and place in blender or food processor, along with sugar and lemon juice. Puree thoroughly. Pour into ice cream maker's can and place in freezer for an hour or whatever -- until well chilled but not frozen. Then place in ice cream maker and follow your appliance's directions for churning. Enjoy the results!

Cinnamon rolls reinvented

Oh dear. It's terribly rude of me to suggest you should have these cinnamon roll pancakes for breakfast, because they aren't very healthy. But you should. You probably have a special occasion you could use as an excuse. Ours was St. Patrick's Day, as you'll see from the picture below with the green glaze. This recipe was delicious. I got it from a website called Recipe Girl. You can go there to find helpful tips for making these.

THE RECIPE:

Cinnamon swirl
Cream cheese glaze
Pancake batter

Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. On my electric stove top, No. 4 worked great. Make pancakes as usual, except squirt a swirl of cinnamon onto each when bubbles start forming on the batter. Keep the swirl about an inch away from the edge of the pancake.

Flip pancakes when bubbles pop and bottom of pancake is golden brown. Cook a couple of minutes more, until other side is nicely browned. Wipe out pan with paper towel, then repeat the process. Serve pancakes with cream cheese glaze. Makes about 8.

Cinnamon swirl:

4 Tbsp. butter, very softened
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Stir together ingredients and spoon into a piping bag or thick plastic baggie with tip cut off. Tip should have about a 1/4-inch opening.

Cream cheese glaze:

4 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Milk for thinning

Whisk butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, then thin with milk as desired.

Pancakes: (or use your own batter)

1 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp. cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients and mix until just moistened.

Molten lava

You want some, don't you? Who wouldn't want a molten lava cake? This is what my family had for our Valentine's Day dessert, with a nice scoop of cookies and cream ice cream on the side.

The picture shows a cake made in a custard dish, which results in a runnier center. I have made baby versions in muffin tins, which also have melty centers but just not enough to run out like that. Either way is delicious. I'm sure the smaller ones are good for portion control, but only for someone who has self-control. Not I.

P.S. The recipe comes from Kraft Foods.

THE RECIPE:

4 ounces Baker's semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 c. butter
1 c. powdered sugar
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp. flour

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease four small custard cups and place on baking sheet. Or, line 10 muffin tin cups with paper liners.

Microwave chocolate and butter for 1 minute, then stir together until smooth and melted. Stir in sugar, then eggs, then flour. Spoon into prepared cups. Bake for up to 12 minutes if using custard cups and up to 9 minutes if using muffin tin. (This is according to my oven, which is electric.) There might be a slight dip in the center even when they're done. The centers should jiggle. Don't overbake!

Let stand for a minute or two, then run a knife around the edges if using custard cups and invert onto a serving plate.

Heaven-sent sauce

The holidays are long over, but I can't help posting this recipe. In an effort to bring a new human into the world, I was sick and vomiting all through the Christmas season, which made food blogging a big no-no. It wasn't fair to this delicious eggnog cake. I could eat the caramel-rum sauce with a spoon. Remember it for the 2012 holidays, okay? Or, make the sauce whenever you darn well please and spoon it over regular yellow cake instead of eggnog cake.

THE RECIPE:

1 yellow cake mix
3 Tbsp. flour
2 c. eggnog
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. rum extract
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat ingredients until smooth. Pour into greased bundt pan or two greased loaf pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Watch carefully and check with a toothpick so cake doesn't overbake. Toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs.

Caramel-rum sauce:

1 1/8 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter
3/4 c. cream
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. each cinnamon and nutmeg
1/8 tsp. rum extract

Mix brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add cream, powdered sugar and spices, whisking until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened but still pourable. Remove from heat and add rum extract. Spoon generously over eggnog cake.

Berry delightful

Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits. They're sweet and beautiful. This summer strawberry cake is a great use for them. My whole family and our guests loved it. It's kind of like a cobbler and would be fantastic served with vanilla ice cream. It's a Martha Stewart recipe I got from Smitten Kitchen.

THE RECIPE:

6 Tbsp. softened butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. strawberries, hulled and halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie pan or a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or a 9-inch springform pan. (A standard 9-inch pie pan is too small.)

In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In larger bowl, beat butter with 1 cup sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla until just combined. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.

Pour into prepared pan. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter as closely as possible in a single layer. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries. Bake for 10 minutes, then leave pan in oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees. Bake 50 minutes more, or until tester comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack.

One of my favorite desserts ever

This cocoa tiramisu is dangerous. I could easily eat the whole pan by myself. My family loves it and can't get enough. Traditional tiramisu is made with coffee, which we don't drink, and whose flavor we do not like, so we made our tiramisu with hot chocolate mix. The idea came from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. It is flavored with rum and almond extracts. The creamy homemade custard is mixed with mascarpone cheese. It is truly divine.

THE RECIPE:

1 c. hot water
2 packets good-quality hot chocolate mix OR 6 Tbsp. hot chocolate mix
1/8 tsp. almond extract
1/8 tsp. rum extract
1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream, divided
8 ounces mascarpone cheese*
30-36 ladyfingers biscuits*
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Combine the water and hot chocolate mix. When cooled, add extracts. Set aside.

In small saucepan, and over medium heat, mix egg yolks, sugar and salt. Add 1/4 cup cream. Stir for a few minutes, or until thickened enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make whipped cream by beating remaining 1/2 cup cream until stiff peaks form. Beat mascarpone cheese into cooled egg mixture. Gently fold in whipped cream.

Whisk hot chocolate mixture often. Dip ladyfingers into hot chocolate, letting each side soak for about 1 second, then layer side by side in 8x8 baking dish. The last couple may need to be trimmed to fit. Top with half of custard, spreading evenly to edges of pan. Then with a mesh strainer, sprinkle with half of cocoa powder. Repeat layers: soaked ladyfingers, custard, cocoa powder. Refrigerate at least 8 hours before eating.

*I couldn't find these at Walmart, so I had to go elsewhere.

Don't trifle with trifle

I've seen this peanut butter brownie trifle on multiple food blogs, and I finally made it. It was our Mother's Day dessert, and it was a success. My brother-in-law was "mmm"ing with every bite. See, we're Reese's fans around here.

THE RECIPE:

1 9x13 pan baked brownies, cut into 1-inch pieces*
1 large (5.1 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix
3 c. milk
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. whipping cream, whipped and divided**
40 bite-sized or 24 regular Reese's peanut butter cups

Beat pudding mix and milk until thickened. Add peanut butter and vanilla, then mix until combined. Fold in 1 cup whipped cream.

Place half of brownies in bottom of trifle dish. Sprinkle with 16 coarsely chopped bite-sized Reese's. Spread half of pudding mixture on top. Repeat layers. Top with last cup of whipped cream and remaining 8 bite-sized Reese's for garnish. Chill at least six hours before serving. Serves 12.

*Option: Add a 10-ounce bag of peanut butter baking chips to brownie batter.

**Homemade whipped cream: With an electric mixer, beat cream with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until soft peaks form.