| Chocolate Trifle 2 packages of brownie mix 4 Skor bars, crushed 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese ¾ cup sugar 1 large tub of Cool Whip Bake brownies according to package directions. Mix the cream cheese with the sugar until well combined. Fold in the large tub of Cool Whip. In a large bowl, do alternate layers starting with (1) crumbled brownies, (2) crushed Skor bars, then (3) cream cheese mixture. Decorate the top with crushed Skor bars and refrigerate. Deadly Chocolate Trifle Serves a crowd unless real chocolate lovers get started at it. Brownies may be prepared hours ahead of time with Kahlua if desired. 1 Fudge brownie mix (or your own), prepared 1/3 cup kahlua (or sweetened black coffee) 3 Instant chocolate mousse dessert mix, prepared (3.1 oz., 87 g each) 8 chocolate-covered crispy toffee bars (such as Heath or Skor), 1½ oz., 39 g each, crushed (about 1-1/3 cups) 4 cups frozen light whipped topping, thawed Make holes, using a fork, all over top of brownies. Drizzle Kahlua over top. Let stand for 10 minutes. Chop brownies into small pieces. Divide into 2 piles. Put 1 pile into glass trifle bowl. Layer ½ of mousse, ½ of crushed candy bars and ½ of whipped topping over brownies in bowl. Repeat layers, beginning with remaining pile of chopped brownies. Chill. Garnish with shaved chocolate and a sprinkle of crushed chocolate-covered crispy toffee bars over the whipped cream, if desired. Serves 20. **You can use 2 instant chocolate pudding powders (4 servings size each) instead of the instant chocolate mousse dessert mix. Beat pudding powders with 4 cups milk until smooth but not thickened. Pour ½ of pudding over brownie in bowl, and proceed as directed above. Black Forest Trifle This quick-and-easy Black Forest Trifle is a variation of the traditional English trifle. It is made of layers of chocolate pudding and cherries, laced with cookie crumbs – either vanilla, shortbread or chocolate chip. 4½ cups milk 3 squares (1 oz each) unsweetened chocolate 1/3 cup cornstarch ½ cup sugar ¼ tsp salt 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 cups cookie crumbs (made from wafers, shortbread or chocolate-chip cookies) 1 can (20 oz) cherry pie filling Put 4 cups of the milk into a large, heavy saucepan. Add unsweetened chocolate and heat over moderate heat, watching carefully, until bubbles form on milk around edges of pan – milk is then scalded. Remove from heat and set aside. Put cornstarch, sugar, salt and remaining ½ cup milk into a small bowl. Use a small whisk to stir cornstarch mixture until all dry ingredients are moistened and no lumps remain. Be sure mixture is well stirred just before adding to hot milk. Using a large wire whisk, stir hot-milk mixture in saucepan while gradually adding cornstarch-milk mixture. Return saucepan to heat and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until milk mixture begins to boil. Boil 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. (If you must stop for a short while, place a piece of plastic wrap on surface of pudding to prevent a skin from forming.) Spoon 1/3 of the chocolate pudding into a 2-quart soufflé dish or glass bowl. Top with 1/3 of the cookie crumbs. Set aside ½ cup cherry pie filling. Gently spoon half of the remaining filling onto crumbs in bowl. Repeat layering with another third of chocolate pudding, crumbs, the remaining cherry pie filling and the remaining chocolate pudding. Spoon remaining cookie crumbs around chocolate pudding to form a border. Top chocolate pudding layer with remaining ½ cup cherry pie filling, placing it in the center. Refrigerate trifle, covered, until pudding is well chilled – 5 to 6 hours. Makes 8 servings. |