Mom’s Chocolate Cream Torte Recipe

Chocolate Torte, or Deadly Chocolate as my step mother calls it, has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember.  It is basically a pudding dessert with a crust on the bottom.  You can use any flavor pudding, but chocolate has always been my favorite.  This recipe tastes best if you make it a day in advance so it can have time to set up.  You can substitute the pudding with sugar free pudding, but don’t use fat free cream cheese because it will not set up properly.  Since each layer  takes a while to cool or set up, this recipe does take awhile to put together, but it is definitely worth your time!

Layer One:

• 1 and 1/2 sticks margarine
• 1 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup nuts chopped fine (optional – I use chopped pecans.)
• Mix together and press into bottom of ungreased 9 X 13 cake pan.  Bake for 15 minutes at 375 and cool.  You will know that the crust is done when it shows “cracks” in the crust.

Layer Two:

• 8 oz. pkg. of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cup cool whip (I use Cool Whip Free)
• Beat together and spread over COOLED crust and chill.

Layer Three:

• 3 small boxes of instant pudding (chocolate, butterscotch, lemon – your choice) Feel free to use sugar free pudding if you’d like.
• 4 and 1/2 cups skim milk
• Beat and spread on top of cheese layer.  Chill for twenty minutes or longer.

Layer Four:

Use remainder of cool whip on top.  Sprinkle nuts over cool whip.  Store this dessert in the fridge.