Chef Murph

Even though people often associate scary things with Halloween, you can also use ordinary objects to surprise your friends. For instance, can you imagine the looks on their faces when you start digging into the flowerpot on your table? Unless they are ‘in the know,’ most likely they won’t realize the centerpiece is dessert.

For this Dirt Cake, you will need the following:

• 1 brand new plastic flower pot
• 1 brand new garden trowel
• 3 or 4 gummy worms
• 1 bunch of silk or plastic flowers
• 1 – 16 ounce package of Oreo or other chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1/2 cup of softened butter or margarine
• 1 – 8 ounce package of softened cream cheese
• 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 – 4 ounce boxes of instant chocolate-fudge pudding
• 3 cups of milk – any kind will work
• 1 – 12 ounce thawed tub of whipped topping

The best way to begin this cake is to ensure the flower pot, garden trowel, and flower stem are all clean. You may want to place strips of plastic wrap in the flower pot so it will be easier to clean. You might also want to wrap the end of the flower stem to keep any toxins from getting into the cake. Set these aside until you are ready to use them.

Start by placing the cookies in a plastic bag and crushing them until they look like good-quality potting soil. Set these aside for a bit.

In a medium-sized bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. This should be fluffy and smooth for the Dirt Cake to work right. Set this aside, you’ll need it soon enough.

Using a large bowl, make the pudding using the instructions on the package. Once the pudding and milk are well blended, you can begin folding in the whipped topping. Next, you’ll want to fold together the cream cheese mixture with the pudding mixture.

Place a layer (about 1/3) of the cookie crumbs in the bottom of the flower pot. Spread about half of the pudding and cream cheese mixture on top of the cookie crumbs. Follow this with another layer of cookie crumbs and then the remaining pudding and cream cheese mixture. You may want to add a couple of gummy worms in the center of the “cake.” Finish the “cake” off by spreading the remaining cookie crumbs over the top.

Push a few worms into the top so it looks like they are coming out of the dirt. Put the “cake” in the refrigerator for at least 10 to 12 hours before you serve it. When you are ready to serve it, place the flower stem in the center and put it in the place of honor in the center of the table. Serve the “cake” by using the garden trowel to dig out each portion. You should get about 10 to 12 servings using this recipe.

Enjoy