I have a confession to make--I'm not a baker, though I try real hard.
Every holiday, every birthday, EVERY SINGLE EVENT I try (and fail mightily) to make the perfect cake, cookie, dessert, ANYTHING that people will not look at in horror and pretend they are full when they pass it by. (Then eat two servings of my six-year-old niece's mud pies).
But...a miracle occurred roughly 15 years ago--and I created (gasp) a HIT! And yes, I continue to make it year after year--my shining moment on repeat every Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Okay, so I didn't technically create it, but it was the first recipe I attempted and actually succeeded at.) And "my" pie became the stuff of family legends. I knew it was a hit when even my pickiest nephew requested it at the next holiday gathering. This kid's picture is next to the word "persnickety" in the dictionary.
Second confession to make (and I know this isn't a very popular opinion--particularly this time of year) I don't really even like pie. Give me a light and spongy angel food cake, or a decadent and creamy slab of cheesecake all day long--pies are just not my thing.
However, even I was amazed at how light, fluffy, and delicious this pie is. It quickly became our go-to dessert for all holiday get-togethers.
The absolute best part of being the quasi-star of Thanksgiving dinner--nobody knows how SIMPLE this really is to make. Literally 4 ingredients and my job is done in about 15 minutes (less if I am not constantly fending off hands trying to sneak into the whipped topping!)
So are you ready to get the secret to being the star of Thanksgiving or Christmas (or both) dinner?
Do you want to make that snooty sister-in-law; the one whose kids are always dressed to the nines (while yours just jumped in the biggest mud puddle they could find), and always brings an elaborate dish to every gathering, go green with envy--dying to know your secret?
Drumroll please.
The secret is Jello pudding. Yep that same old Jello pudding you used to freeze in your popsicle tubes as a kid.
About 15 years ago, while walking through the grocery store in October, I passed one of those cardboard displays with the recipe cards stuck on the front of them. The display was full of boxes of Jello Pumpkin Spice pudding. EWW gross I thought. Who on earth would want pudding that tastes like pumpkin pie. Hmmm...maybe I'll grab a couple boxes and the recipe cards and try them out. Of course my thought was to only try them out on my husband and kids (because I REALLY didn't want another epic humiliation like the spider cupcakes or the princess cake--don't ask, trust me you don't want to know!)
Turns out we ended up going back to the store several times and buying up as much of the pumpkin spice pudding as we could find--it was THAT good. 15 years ago, it was easy to find--the secret was still safe. Now it is not as easy to find in the stores and if you find it, you should probably go ahead and grab it because chances are you won't find it when you want it. Don't worry though, odds are your sister-in-law will still think you are an amazingly creative and inspired baker. Your secret is safe on that front.
Now on to the recipe.
You will need:
*1 9"graham cracker prepared pie crust
*5.8 oz box of Jello Pumpkin Spice pudding mix
*1 1/2 C milk
*1 8 oz tub of Cool Whip
*any toppings your family may like--chopped nuts, spice, etc (we eat it as is)
Steps:
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and the pudding mix
2. Gently fold in half of the Cool Whip
3. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Cover and place in refrigerator for approx. 30 minutes (until pudding is set)
4. Spread the remaining Cool Whip on top of the set pudding pie. Top with any other additions you'd like
5. Serve to your adoring fans (ok, I made that one up--but seriously it is THAT good!)
