Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ribbon Dessert

Yet another, no-bake, cool and creamy dessert for you.  I told you it had been hot around here!  So hot that I have hardly posted a thing.  I can't really blame the heat for me being delinquent with my blog posting.  I can blame my busy kids, however.  It's just been too crazy to try to form any sort of coherent sentences.  I enjoy the summer months and the lack of lunch packing and homework.  But I have to admit, I really miss having a few hours in order to start and end a task without an interruption of "Mom, __fill-in-the-blank__ did this" or "Mom, I need help with that."  Sure, the phone still rings, but it's a lot easier to ignore than a nagging/whining/irritating child!

I felt a little bit bad about dissing the folks at Kraft Foods in my last recipe post.  I just really liked those magazines they sent out.  I even recall one occasion telling my Mom, "I can't believe they send this out for free!"  And then, wouldn't you know, they decide to start selling subscriptions to it. 

Anyhoo, I decided to share another one of their stellar recipes.  I have made this many, many times.  This go around, it was to celebrate my Dad's birthday a few weeks ago.  I first made it for a family Fourth of July cookout back when I had kids in diapers.  My family has been my recipe guinea pigs for a long, long time!  My Dad took a couple of bites and said, "April, keep this recipe."  I still don't know if it was a suggestion or a direct order.  Nonetheless, I kept the recipe and have made it many times over...oftentimes, for my Dad's birthday.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Ribbon Dessert

Here's What You Need:

12 Nutter Butter, peanut butter sandwich cookies

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tub (12 oz.) whipped topped, thawed

2 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Here's What You Do:

Crush 8 of the cookies in a plastic bag with a rolling pin.  This is a good time to work out any and all aggravation that might be building up!

Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter.

Line a loaf pan with foil.  When I first started out in the kitchen, I would wrestle with the foil trying to line a pan.  It was end up ripped and in a terrible state.  I have learned over the years that it can be a pretty easy process.  Follow along!

Lay the foil flat on the kitchen counter.  Set the pan on top of the foil and then bring the foil up the sides and corners of the pan, fitting the foil around the pan.

You've made a foil mold.  Remove the pan and then just reverse the actions by slipping the foil mold into the pan.

It will take a bit of coaxing into the corners.  Just take your time and you'll find it fits perfectly.

Ready to be filled!

Dump the cookie crumb mixture into the foil-lined pan and press into the bottom with your fingers or a fork.

Add the cream cheese, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla to a large mixing bowl.

Mix well until well blended.

Gently fold in 3 cups of the whipped topping.

Spoon 1/2 cup of the cream cheese/whipped topping mixture into a small bowl.  Add the melted chocolate and completely blend together.

Spoon half of the peanut butter mixture into the bottom of the loaf pan.

Next, layer on the chocolate mixture.

Carefully smooth it out so the layers do not combine.

Finish off a layer of the other half of peanut butter mixture.  Cover the loaf pan with a piece of foil and stick it in the freezer.

Freeze for four hours or overnight until firm.  When you are ready to serve it, invert onto a plate.  Remove the foil, then re-invert onto a serving platter so that the crumb layer is on the bottom.  Coarsely break the remaining 4 cookies.  Top the dessert with the remaining whipped topping and the cookie crumbs.  Makes 12 servings.