DISHIN' THE DIRT

Our daughter graciously invited us to Easter dinner this evening and when I asked what she'd like me to bring, her answer was "Dirt Pie". She said the grandkids had requested it. I made the dessert this morning and was very happy to have been asked to contribute to the occasion. The dessert turned out well and my grandkids seemed to enjoy it.

There are many recipes available for this dessert and it's known by many names - Dirt Cake, Dirt Pie, and Dirt Pudding are a few. All of them are made in similar fashion. The "dirt" is crushed Oreo cookies and the filling is pudding. Here's a good and easy recipe for this rich chocolate dessert. You can serve it from a new clean flower pot as I did, or from a pie plate or bowl. If using a bowl, a clear one will show off the pretty layers. Don't forget the worms!

DIRT PUDDING
(Serves 6)

INGREDIENTS:

1 (14-ounce) bag Oreo cookies (I used Peanut Butter Oreos)

1 (3 1/2-ounce) packages Chocolate or French Vanilla instant pudding

3 cups milk

1 (12-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed

1 package Gummi worms

DIRECTIONS:
Crush cookies, put about 1/4 of them on bottom of dish/pot and save rest for layering and topping. Mix pudding and milk together and beat for about 2 minutes. Chill until set, then fold in Cool Whip. Pour small amount of mix onto crushed cookies and add Gummi worms as desired Add more "dirt", another layer of pudding, then more "dirt" to make layers. Top layer will be crushed Oreo "dirt". Push a few Gummi worms down into crushed Oreos and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, add floral stem in center of Dirt Pudding if using flower pot. I wrapped the bottom part of the stem in foil before I pushed it into the center of the pot. As a final touch, use a clean new garden spade to dish the dirt. Enjoy!