Let me tell you about this wonderful butterscotch torte

This is a recipe that's been around. I have seen it several times in the Valley Children’s Hospital All Guild Cookbook, Cooking is a Lark Cookbook, and my mother’s recipe box. But I give you a twist on this torte recipe.

My twist is in the presentation. All of the recipes I've seen call for a 9x13 rectangle pan. But, I like to make it in a springform pan to show off the layers.

BUTTERSCOTCH TORTE

LAYER #1: CRUST:
1 cup flour
½ cup cold butter (I stick)
1 cup nuts, finely chopped (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)
½ cup powdered sugar (optional)

Mix flour and butter in food processor until crumbly. Stir in chopped nuts and press into bottom of 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until slightly brown. Cool.

LAYER #2: CREAM CHEESE LAYER:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cool whip (buy 8 oz size)
½ tsp vanilla

Whisk all ingredients together and spread over cooled crust.


LAYER #3: PUDDING LAYER:
2 small packages instant pudding, any flavor
3 cups milk

Mix pudding and milk together and spread over cream cheese layer.

LAYER #4: WHIPPED TOPPING LAYER
Cool Whip
Chopped nuts (optional)

Spread remainder of 8 oz. Cool Whip over pudding layer. Sprinkle nuts over the top. Chill several hours.

Serves 10-12

The beauty of this dessert is that it looks great, is easy, and can be made with any flavor pudding you choose. The torte in the photo above was made with butterscotch pudding with sliced toasted almonds sprinkled on top of the Cool Whip. Butterscotch flavored pudding makes this dessert very unique, but it is equally good with chocolate (with nuts or chocolate shavings on top), lemon (with lemon zest on top), or coconut (with toasted coconut on top). Use whatever flavor pudding suits your taste. Although the recipe calls for instant pudding I prefer the taste of cook and serve pudding. Either way, it's yummy.