For the first time in a long time, I had a day off on Friday. The last day off I had that wasn’t a stat holiday was back in MARCH. WTH? I had the day planned out: Bob and I were going to take Mum out for crepes at Kawaii Crepe, go to Boonstra’s for strawberry picking, and then maybe go to Home Sense to check out some new wares. But before all the shenanigans were to begin, I had to come up with a dessert to bring over to the ladies night dinner I was attending later that evening.
What to make? What to make that’ll be quick and ready to go by the time I get back? Out of our small group of awesome, foxy ladies, one has food allergies. And the two things that she could not have were: citrus and nuts. CRAP! So, I’m online looking for “great!” “summer!” “desserts!”. And what comes up? Citrus something-or-other. Lemony thing-she-can’t-eat. Nuts’n-butts disaster. I was totally boned. Why did everything that was sounding SO amazing were the things I couldn’t make? So, I emailed Ms. T and asked her specifically which citrus and which nuts (because it can be specific). Turns out ALL citrus :(. But, she was ok with peanuts. Translation: peanut butter is an option. HALLELUJAH!
I came across Kraft Canada’s Chocolate-Peanut Butter pie and thought: THIS IS IT. Here is a dessert that’s quick to make and will get the job done while I’m out and about.
The Instant Trinity
I should admit: though I was really happy I had found a dessert that was quick to make, I felt bad for copping out. Why? Well, for me, if I’m making a dessert, I’m Making a dessert. If I’m making a pie, for instance, I would have made that shell from scratch. I would have made the filling and anything else required. But this dessert had three things I hadn’t used in AGES:
- Oreo Baking Crumbs *what?*
- Instant pudding powder *SAY WHAT?*
- bloody COOL WHIP whipped topping?!??!? *Clutches heart, GASP!*
Do you see the struggle? If I can make croissants from scratch, why am I making…. THIS? Ok, being a tad melodramatic… Also, I seriously haven’t had Cool Whip since I was in the age group of single digits. Why have something that probably won’t even biodegrade in a nuclear bomb when I can have real whipped cream?
Kraft Canada’s Chocolate-Peanut butter Pie
(*changes I made)
- 1-1/4 cups Oreo Baking Crumbs
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
- 1/4 cup extra/creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup cold milk
- 1 pkg (4-serving size) Jell-O chocolate fudge* instant pudding
- 1 L container, thawed of Cool Whip whipped topping*
Combine the crumbs and the butter and press into a 9 x 9 square dish.
In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter while slowly adding the milk with a wire whisk. Add the dry pudding mix and combine until well-blended. Add 1 cup of the Cool Whip to the mixture and then pour onto the crust. The recipe says to top with one cup of the Cool Whip but it didn’t seem like enough so I practically put the remainder of the container on top.
Put in the fridge for at least 3 hours and then I topped it with chocolate sprinkles before I serving, because I didn’t have any fudge topping. I also don’t have any pictures of the final product. Sorry! I think in a way, it was nicer to use just regular Cool Whip than the chocolate variety because you get nice looking layers between the crust, the pudding, and then the topping. Can you picture the instant trinity dessert?
Verdict: DELICIOUS – from what I was told, tee hee. I didn’t have any and let the girls bring it home to their families. Amidst the Just Dance, black jack, and talking, we actually forgot dessert! Rave reviews from everyone who tried it and they couldn’t believe that it was made with: Oreo crumbs, instant pudding, and Cool Whip.
Other pictures of the day….
Bob's crepe: The Cowboy
Left to Right - Strawberry and Guava bubble teas.
A counter full of Portuguese, yummy goodness. This picture does not do it justice.
Oh, and why aren’t there any pictures of lucious, sunkissed strawberries that would have stained my piano hands red? Before we headed off to pick up Mum, I asked Bob if we should call Boonstra’s to see if they were open. Bob: Nah, they should be open, it’s gorgeous outside. So we drove all the way to Stonewall only to discover that they were indeed Not open for business. So fellow Manitobans, please call the farms you’re going to pick from lest you find out otherwise after your long-ish drive.
Tags: bubble tea/boba, dessert, Winnipeg
Jenn,
I’d like to double down on your dessert. Love me some cool whip. Great to have you back!
Hi Lazaro,
thanks! It’s good to be back. One thing I’m good at work but not great at home is time-management. I just need three more hours to the day. I could get SO MUCH done!
hahahaha… you are a fan of the Cool Whip? I must admit, the taste hasn’t changed and it really is quite good. ;)
Meh make it from scratch or not it sure sounds good! You guys are lucky you have so many of these products, while New Zealand has zilch. Ugh. I literally jumped for joy when I finally found graham crackers at an asian store a couple of weeks ago. Ha!
Btw cherimoya is def nothing like durian (I can’t stand durian!), so you should try look for it one time!
Hi Le,
hahaha… you’re right. You’re right. Funny enough I bought more Cool Whip today at the store. I opened a Pandora’s box. aiya! WHAT?!??! You guys don’t have all of this stuff? If you come to Canada, there’s some instand/easy to use stuff. But if you go to the U.S. there’S WAY MORE!!! Is there anything you’d like? I’d be more than happy to send some stuff your way.
I’ll have to check this fruit out. Sadly, I’m Chinese and I rarely venture to the Asian supermarkets. Mainly because they’re kind of out of the way and the areas they’re in aren’t the safest. blech.. Durian… i tried it and thought it was ok, and then for the rest of the day all I could taste were green onions… :p
Omgosh I’m not the only one that thinks durian has an aftertaste of green onions!!!! I swear I tasted that and told my mum and she’s like “maybe it’s the spoon you used” and I’m thinking “what’s it got to do with the spoon?” LOL. I’m not a fan of durian at all, not unless it’s a flavour in pastillas.
Aww that’d be so cool if you could send some out my way but I’m moving to Korea in like 2 weeks! LOL. Besides, NZ is really spaz when it comes to food coming into NZ, so it would probably get bounced. haha. Thanks though :D
YOU TOO!?!?!? hahahaha… I think everyone has their own “unique” taste of Durian but I’m glad someone else has the “green onion” aftertaste. *blechs….* I think I would love to enjoy it but I just can’t.
I remember going on a double date with this other couple. The woman had said that she loves durian. So I asked her, what does it taste like? Describe it to someone who’s never had it.
Her asnswer: Heaven.
So I tried it and honey, green onions does not = heaven. So now we always joke that durian tastes like heaven. :p
aww… cool. So lucky to be moving! That’s a country I’d like to go to. They have great K-soaps *blush*.
Just three more hours?? You sure bout that? I think there will never be time enough for the likes of us appalling time managers. I’m thinking more along the lines of a time machine!! Oh yeah, baby!!!
Sometimes it just feels good to rip open packs of instant this, that and everything else, and just mix it all up for a dessert…….. or a solvent ROFL Well, you know what I mean. Sure, you probably shouldn’t eat that way EVERYDAY, but I mean, c’mon life is short – live a little and have some mad scientist fun before you kick the bucket, no? ;)
And, Cool Whip and cohorts, may not be PC in culinary circles, but anyone who can’t admit it’s fun to mess around with may need to relax a certain muscle in their body. Hahahahahaha – did I just say THAT?!?!!? Yup, I sure did!!!!!
Hahahaha… yes, three hours seems like a good amount. Liren and I discussed this. If you’re having a BAD day, you’re having that much more of a bad day. Three more hours doesn’t seem that bad. do you watch or read Harry Potter? Then you’d need a time turner. Amazeballs! hahaha…. I don’t know if I’d want a time machine. I’m thinking of the butterfly effect of course… ;)
Solvents – amen! I could use a good solven right now. I slept like crap last night! Why? i was reading Harry Potter 7 (dum dee dumm…) and for some reason, Harry, Ron and Hermione were in my dreams! it was crazy and upsetting… You are right, it’s nice to be able to use instant/ready-to-use because we are strapped for time. Would it be nice to have the time to make homemade butterscotch and the like? Hell yes! But I also want time to spend with friends and family. Hmm… that time machine’s sounding better already ;)
hahaha… yeah, Cool Whip isn’t even food. But it is damned good! You always make me laugh Denise :) You are the bestest xoxo
I would slather cool whip on EVERYTHING I ate if I didn’t have kids watching me ALL the time, ya know examples must be set…ah parenthood, love the treat…oreo baking crumbs?what I must find these..stat!
sweetlife
hahaha… does Chuls and Pips know this?? lol….
A girlfriend at work LOVES strawberries with Cool Whip AND Nutella. Is that not heaven right there? Durian is not heaven btw.
SAY WHAT?? you’ve never seen Oreo Baking crumbs??? They are amazing and great for cheesecakes.. Hint hint??? ;)
OMG, I haven’t seen those products in ages! Cool Whip and oreo crusts and all. I didn’t really “grow up” with those products in my house since my mom had an aversion to instant anything, but nothing makes an expat happy (or homesick) when we see a familiar product we haven’t seen in a long time.
Most non-Nth Americans find the combination of peanut butter and chocolate quite strange. Some are even grossed out by the thought. I swear some people don’t know what they’re missing!
Hi KM,
hahahaha…. oh man, in light of this amazing recipe, I actually just bought another tub of Cool Whip. I think this will be the Summer of Cool Whip where we become friends again. I will admit, I’m the same way. My mum made French pastries from scratch so the only time we had Oreo Crumbs, and pudding and what not was when I found things like Oreo Cheesecake or things like that to make.
Wow! I thought chocolate + peanut butter was this match-made-in-heaven that everyone knew about. They’re definitely missing out ;)
Oh! Jenn, you really made the most of this friday…my head is spinning LOL, Strawberry picking, crepes, home sense (awesome) and girl night’s out. Fewww! But all ended well with a Macgiver style pie. Yuruuuulll!
lol… yes, that Friday was pretty productive. Actually, most of my days off and weekends are usually busy with little things that add up like that. Girls night was awesome! My old department is filled with the most fun and the most interesting women around. And my current gig only pales in comparison. I think it’s great that I’m still included in stuff like that.
hahaha… this pie was “great success!” I did try the filling and it was ooooooooh so good.
Chocolate and peanut butter just these two words are enough to make you drool.
Hi!
Thanks for visiting :)
Chocolate + peanut butter = amazingness. You simply can’t go wrong. Unless if it’s weird-tasting chocolate. Then I’ll just pass.
great pie!! you know there is nothing wrong with using mixes from time to time….there are only so many hours in the day…I hate to say that i do use them at school, when I am making all that food, there just isn’t enough time to make everything from scratch….and a lot of the products are pretty darn good, and at least consistent.
And I bet your pie tasted like something home made!!! it certainly sounds delcious!
thanks for such a great post
Dennis
Hi Chef Dennis,
Yes, I will agree that mixes and other such short cuts are ok. Not every day, but ok. I think that day I felt I was going out with a wonderful group of woman that I didn’t make much of an effort. But then again, I had so much going on that day that a short cut needed to be made. The melodramatic lady I am! lol… And there are some great products out there that are “pretty darn good, and …consistent.” :)
Oh man, when I tried the filling (in case it was sub-par…lol) it was amazing. Creamy, chocolatey, peanut-buttery goodness. I knew my insides wanted more but self-restraint was in order.
Thanks for visiting and for your kind words :)
Hey Jenn, this sounds reminiscently delicious. As in ‘I’m sure I would have thought you were a Goddess in my childhood’. But I must say that I’m glad you had some sort of conscious guilt about making this. I can see there’s some part of you that is struggling with it, and I know why (smile). It’s okay to indulge sometimes though when time is short. You can make something more artistic and healthful next time, no? Yes! And it will also involve ‘great success’!
p.s. I didn’t mean to miss this post. Sorry, Stella
Hi Stella,
lol….. Childhood Dessert Goddess. I can live up to that ;) lol.
No more Cool Whip for me. I bought a second container recently to make this for our work food day yesterday (and the women LOVED it), but no more. I will prefer my whole/pure foods that come from real entities and not created.
I am eyeing some more interesting sweets these days. Will be posting!
and no worries about missing posts! I understand we’re all busy.
ex’s and oh’s…
Yea you’re back! Good to have you back Dear Jenn. We miss you around here.
You are too funny with the cool whip and the biodegradable – but then again of all the bloody things that can kill us anyway – where would cool whip figure on that list?
So live a little and as long as its not one of our daily 5 food groups, who give a….? :)
That pie is to die for and cool whip and whipped cream makes everything taste better and everything feel rosier..non?
Hugs, Devaki
Hi Devaki! *kisses on cheeks*.
it has been a while. My weekends have been rather busy and the weekdays have been filled with sunshine so it’s hard to stay indoors.
HAHAHAHA>… ROTFL.. It’s true. It’s hard to stay so diligent with the food groups. Sometimes it is ok to indulge. I think Cool Whip would be in the mid twenties of food things that could kill you. I know the first ingredient is water but the other stuff is definitely questionable.
I’ll definitely have to think of a better way to make this without the cool whip.
So good to see you! xoxo
No wonder why I didn’t see your around. You were gone?! :) hahaha I agree that when I make dessert, I make dessert. However, the instant and ready-to-bake ingredients are good and taste great! Can you believe it? They saved so much time. I would need more than 3 hrs!
Btw, the bubble photo is killing me. I’m a big fan of bubble tea and now i’m craving for it as looking at that picture!
Hi Tanantha,
Yes, I have been gone for a while. It’s summertime. hard to stay indoors. And I have the worst tan right now and I have a wedding next month *frets*.
My favourite, no-bake is the Jell-O Peanut butter chocolate “nanaimo” bars… I’ll have to find a picture and post it. It’s sooooo good and soooo light, but probably not good for the butt… lol.
I KNOW!! Bubble tea is the bestest.
Hope all is well on your end ;)
Oh, that is funny! What a way to take it back to my good old days as a kid and when ALL our desserts were made with ready-made cool whip, oreo and instant pudding! I love all those things to this day, so I have no doubt I would have woofed the deliciousness in one rapid breath! Also, I am a gigantic fan of bubble tea….yum!
Hi Patty,
lol….my childhood was opposite of most. I never had kraft dinner or canned soup until my late teens/early twenties. My mum was stay-at-home so she cooked virtually EVERYTHING from scratch. So for me, making stuff like this is quick and fun :)
I love Jell-O instant pudding though. Stovetop is great, but sometimes instant snack for after dinner is always nice… tee hee.
LOVE bubble tea. Oh man, I think I want some right now ..lol