Chocolate Eclair Dessert

It's summer, and even in our mountain climate, we have days when it's hot.  OK, it's hot for like a month, but who's counting?  Anyway, after my husband comes home from a long day working outside, he gives me the evil eye if I heat the house up with the oven.   So, I've compiled several "summer" dessert recipes that get us through those hot days.

This Chocolate Eclair Dessert is easy to make and delicious!  I have to tell you a micro-short story about it.  Want to hear it? Here it goes: Once upon a time, I made this dessert for my parents when they came to visit.  My Mom and I both secretly knew it had cream cheese in the recipe, but we didn't tell my cream cheese hating dad.  You can't even taste the cream cheese in the recipe.  He served himself seconds, and then thirds, and it was safe to say that he enjoyed the dessert.  Afterward, my mom and I giggled about the fact that my dad unknowingly ingested his most hated food.  Then, the worst thing happened.  I felt guilty.  I felt soooo guilty that I had lied to my dad about the cream cheese, that I had to fess up.  I confessed my sin of serving cream cheese, and now my dad can't ever trust me again.  Every time I make a dessert, he asks if there's any cream cheese in it.  It's all a mental thing with him.  If he doesn't know the cream cheese is there, he can enjoy the dessert, but if he has even an inkling of suspicion about it, he will pass up the dessert, and miss out on one of the best ingredients the Good Lord has ever created.  The End.

Recipe below:

First, spray a 9X13 baking pan with cooking spray.  Then put down a layer of graham crackers, (7 1/2 graham cracker sheets, if you're a perfectionist)

Next, make the filling with vanilla pudding, milk, cream cheese and cool whip.

You can lick the beater, I give you permission. :)

Next, layer half of the filling on top of the graham crackers.

Then add another 7 1/2 sheets of graham crackers over the top.

Now repeat with the other half of the filling, and another layer of graham crackers.

Now, mix up the chocolate glaze, and smooth it over the top of the graham crackers.  YUM!

My generic graham crackers were warped, that's the reason for the uneven look, but I assure you, it does not affect the taste! Now, the great thing about this dessert is that you can fix it ahead of time, and leave it in the refrigerator until dessert.  In fact, it's best when it has at least 4 hours to set up. It also lets the graham crackers get nice and soft.  It really does taste like an eclair.  I'm making this one for a dinner we're attending tonight, so I can't take a picture of a piece of it, but it's lovely inside.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

1 box of honey graham crackers, divided (22 1/2 sheets)

3 cups milk

2 (3.4oz) packages Vanilla instant pudding mix

1 (8oz) cream cheese

1(8oz) cool whip thawed

1/4 cup milk

2 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons margarine softened

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Arrange 7 1/2 graham cracker sheets in bottom of a 13X9 inch baking dish coated in cooking spray. 

Combine 3 cups milk, pudding mix, and cream cheese. Beat until thick.  Fold in the cool whip.

Spread 1/2 the filling over the crackers.  Top it with another layer of graham crackers.  Then spread the other half of the filling and top with another layer of graham crackers.

Combine 1/4 cup milk, margarine, honey, and chocolate in a small bowl.  Beat until well blended.  Add powdered sugar to the chocolate mixture and beat again.  Spread the glaze over the graham crackers.  Cover the dessert with foil and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.  Serves 18.