To make the crust

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add sugar, cinnamon, and salt to the melted butter and mix to combine. Add the flour and combine the ingredients with a fork to form large crumbles. Add the finely chopped pecans and continue to mix until the pecans are well incorporated. To make a family style trifle, gently press the crust into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9” x 13” baking dish. To make individual trifles, press the crumbles together in a large rectangle shape on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Set aside to cool. If making individual trifles, crumble half the crust into roughly half-inch pieces and the remaining half into fine crumbs resembling bread crumbs either in a food processor or by hand.

To make cream cheese filling

Whip the cream cheese either with a stand or hand mixer on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Once the cream cheese is whipped, add the powdered sugar and mix on low first, increasing the speed once the sugar is combined to medium-high. Whip for another 1 minute. Turn the mixer off and add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and salt. Turn the mixer back on to low until the cream is combined. Then increase the speed to high and whip for 1 more minute.

To assemble the trifle(s)

The trifle starts with shortbread topped with cream cheese filling then chocolate pudding and, last, whipped cream. The top can optionally be garnished with toasted finely chopped pecans and shaved dark chocolate.

Chocolate Pudding

Find more recipe from Hailey McKenna at cookingandcussing.com.

*Find the Chocolate Pudding recipe on our website; edibleOKC.com.