I know it’s so late, I do. In fact, these should almost be another post in my “Never-On-Time Series,” since both of these desserts were made in past years. However, a few of my friends still insisted that I share, even so late. They promised you would still like seeing these treats, so please prove them right, okay? 😉

Last year, I had just passed my one-year anniversary in making decorated sugar cookies, and around my kids’ school, I was already known as the cookie mom. So, of course, I had to make cookies for Earth Day for Jack’s 3rd grade classmates…

I made about 30 big Earth cookies, and each one was slightly different, as I just piped random shapes of green on the blue-iced globes. Cute!

And, serious biz, they couldn’t possibly have been easier to make. Really. You could knock out 30 decorated cookies in an hour or less, I promise!

I’ll even outline the steps for you:

1. Bake circle-shaped sugar cookies.
2. Pour blue 20-second icing into a shallow dish/plate.
3. Dip cookies into icing until evenly covered. Remove & lay on racks to dry a bit.
4. Tint piping consistency icing green, and pipe random continent shapes on the drying blue cookies.
5. Let dry completely.

See? SO EASY!

But TWO years ago, I was just getting my start in cookies, and I wasn’t as brave to “share” my work yet. Instead, I made a classic: Dirt Cake.

This is a favorite in our family, and it always goes over well with crowds. It really couldn’t be easier to make, and I don’t usually go for the full “put-it-in-a-flower-pot” presentation, even. Don’t let not having the right props keep you from making it. You NEED this “cake” in your life!

Chocolate Dirt Cake
(recipe handed down for years)

• 1 to 1-1/4 lb. pkg. Oreo cookies
• 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 cups milk
• 1 (12 oz.) Cool Whip
• 2 (3.5 oz.) pkgs. instant chocolate pudding
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 gummy worms (optional)

In a food processor or blender, crush the entire package of Oreo cookies. (I can only put 5 Oreos at a time in my blender without causing it to stop. It’s a long process for me.) Pour 1/4 of the crumbs into your serving dish (a flower pot or regular pretty dish).

In a large bowl, cream butter & cream cheese together until light & fluffy. Add vanilla & powdered sugar; mix well.

In a separate medium bowl, combine milk & both packages of pudding mix until well blended. Fold in Cool Whip until combined.

Fold pudding mixture into cream cheese mixture. Layer 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture onto the crushed cookies in the serving dish. Top with another 1/4 of the crumbs, and another 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers one more time & top with last 1/4 of the cookie crumbs. Push gummy worms into the crumbs for decoration. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

And here’s a picture where you can see the layering in effect:

I made 44 individual cups of Dirt Cake for both my boys’ 2nd & 6th grade classmates. My youngest was SO excited to hand these out, and ALL of the kids loved the sweet treat. They were the jealous talk of the school. 😉

Personally, I can’t do the gummy candies, but if you asked Jack, he’d tell you that it’s not “real” Dirt Cake if there aren’t worms included! 😉