I was first introduced to this dessert at one of my mother's office Christmas parties...and I resurrected it for a prom party or something like that and ever since it's been my trademark. And, I must admit, that the quality of each batch is tenuous. But, those people who have had a knee-buckling sex-in-a-pan experience are advocates for life. Right, Derrick? (He was a disbeliever until we made it with him and he discovered how truly fabulous pudding with crust can be...) It's been renamed time and again from "Happy Puddin'" to "God's Sweet Lovin'" (compliments of Kimbo) and "The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford." I tried to make it for the kiddos who live on my floor, and I don't know if it was the pressure of pleasing so many people or generic Ralph's brand ingredients, but it really could have been better and I think that they all think that I embellished it way lots. But in Georgia and South Carolina they know the truth--they know that it lives up to it's name. Perhaps it failed because I didn't have my trusty sidekick, Graylene, by my side. (She's the one who wanted to melt the butter when I demanded that it be crumbly and ended up creating a far superior crust.) Nutty pudding was my fault, too--but now we know that it definitely needs instant pudding.
