The last-minute dessert is not something I usually enjoy preparing. I’m a planner; I like having time to read some recipes, drool over some pictures, and stock my pantry with all the right ingredients before diving in. I often plan to bake on a Friday, so I can spend all week dreaming about just the right combination of flavours.

And yet, when an occasion arises that calls for dessert, I just can’t say no. It doesn’t matter if my pantry is bare, it’s too hot to use the oven, or I only have ten minutes. If dessert is needed, dessert there will be.

This recipe is a result of one of those stolen half-hours during nap time. I always have peanut butter, cocoa powder, butter and chocolate chips on hand, and I also happened to have some chocolate cookie crumbs and a package of pudding. Rather than waste my valuable time searching for a recipe to use up these things, I did what any intrepid chocoholic might do….I experimented. This was the result:

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Ingredients:

1 pkg chocolate pudding mix
2 cups cold milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 banana, sliced (optional)
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
chocolate chips, peanut butter for decoration

Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter, and press this mix into your pan**, covering the bottom and the sides. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the chocolate pudding mix and the cold milk. Whisk for about 2 minutes, or until thickened (according to package directions). Whisk in the peanut butter and cocoa powder until everything is combined and thickened. Set aside.

Slice a banana, and lay the slices on the cookie crust. Pour the pudding filling over the crust, and refrigerate minimum one hour. Melt some peanut butter and drizzle over the top, sprinkling with chocolate chips for decoration. Serve with whipped cream (or on its own!)

(**I used a 7-inch springform pan, which I know is not a standard size. If you have a 9-inch pie plate, this will work just as well; the amounts should be the same.)