One Of Reese Witherspoon's Favorite Southern Desserts Starts With A Simple Cake Mix
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Reese Witherspoon's mud pie trifle recipe captures the spirit of Southern hospitality in a jar. The humble dessert is built from just a few familiar ingredients — chocolate cake mix, instant pudding, crumbled chocolate sandwich cookies, and whipped topping.
The actress and entrepreneur, whose Nashville upbringing shaped her values and connection to cuisine, shares the beloved recipe in her 2018 cookbook "Whiskey in a Teacup" — a title inspired by her grandmother Dorothea Draper's saying that Southern women are delicate and ornamental on the outside, but strong and fiery on the inside. Throughout the book, she offers culinary wisdom passed down through generations.
Witherspoon's recipe is a playful take on the trifle, a layered dessert traditionally composed of at least three elements with contrasting textures. The actress' version begins with chocolate cake. Use a box mix if you're following Witherspoon's lead, or homemade if you're in the mood to bake from scratch. Then come Oreo cookies, crushed until they resemble Mississippi riverbed soil, giving rise to the cheeky "mud" part of the name. From there, the magic is in the layers: spongy cake offering structure, cookie crumbles delivering crunch, and silky pudding tying everything together. A crown of Cool Whip drifts over the top like a sweet, fluffy cloud.
Mud pie trifle is full of homey character (and chocolate)
As the name implies, Reese Witherspoon's trifle is a nod to the classic Mississippi mud pie, a gooey, comforting, chocolate-rich dessert whose origins are clear as mud but firmly rooted in the South nonetheless. Mud pie has long been prized for its indulgent layers, making it a fitting inspiration for a trifle designed to be scooped and shared.
Just as Mississippi mud pie can take on different forms (some with brownie bases, others with ice cream or meringue), Witherspoon's version encourages flexibility. You could swap the Oreos for homemade cookies, dress it up with shaved chocolate or candied pecans, or trade Cool Whip for fresh whipped cream. Whether served in parfait dishes, stemless wine glasses, or vintage mason jars, each stratum contributes to the edible work of art. The adaptable treat could make a good addition to any occasion, from casual gatherings and Friday movie nights at home to elegant dinner parties and wedding receptions.
Witherspoon's mud pie trifle embodies the very best of Southern cooking. It also represents how food has stayed part of her identity throughout her decades-long Hollywood career.