As a kid, I remember watching my mom having fun cooking and baking for anyone with an appetite. One of my first ventures into “cooking” was making chocolate pudding. Not the instant chocolate pudding most folks get to cut down on time but the slow cooking chocolate pudding from Jello. I think Jello was a staple in our house and may still be found on my mom’s kitchen shelf. I loved standing over the stove and stirring the milk and pudding mix until it was thick and creamy. The best part was licking the spoon after filling several little flowered juice glasses with the pudding. Sometimes my mom would let me get real fancy and put whipped cream on top of the chocolate pudding.

My chocolate cherry bomb dessert is the grown up version of my fancy childhood chocolate pudding. Chocolate pudding is still the star of the dessert but it is supported by cherries and cookie crumbs. Sometimes when my husband and I have a few friends over for dinner we like to get them involved in the kitchen. Preparing this dessert is an easy way to do that since it takes less than an hour to make and you can create an assembly line to pull each layer together. This dessert is sure to bring back lots of memories of sticky chocolate covered faces and laughter. Whether you serve this dessert chilled or warm it will get a thumbs up!

Chocolate Cherry Bomb

Ingredients:
1 can cherry pie filling
1 chocolate graham cracker crust
1 large box chocolate pudding cook & serve
1 cup cold heavy cream
8 ounces Italian Mascarpone cheese
½ cup sugar
¼ cup coffee liqueur
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
8 individual dessert glasses

Prepare chocolate pudding according to the package. Let cool slightly. Crumble graham cracker crust in a bowl. Place a layer of crumbled graham cracker in the bottom of each glass. Press down lightly to create a crust. Spread a layer of chocolate pudding over each crust then add a layer of cherry pie filling over the chocolate pudding.

In a mixing bowl combine the heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, sugar, coffee liqueur, cocoa powder and vanilla. Combine mixture on a low speed then gradually increase speed until firm peaks are formed. Top each dessert with the whipped cream. Garnish with any remaining graham cracker crust, chocolate shavings or chocolate covered cherries. Cover with clear wrap.  Serve chilled or warm.

Optional:
Try flavored liqueurs with hints of orange, nuts or cherries.