10 January 2010

the story of my chocolate layer trifle

this was our new year's eve party toffee chocolate trifle. emails poured in regarding this whipped cream creation. thank you! yes, i was heavy-handed with the cool whip, but no one complained. this recipe has circled 'round my family so many times i hardly know who it belongs to. however i'll be giving you my cousin kelly's adaptation.

the trifle is something that needs a party for a proper debut. like an oscar de la renta dress; it deserves a special occasion. you can't just whip up a trifle for you and your husband and baby. well, you can. but i can't. i would eat the whole thing in one weekend. unlike cookies that seem to be innocently stolen before they can be counted, an almost-gone trifle dish is evidence waiting to happen. pounds gained, fingerprints on the glass, etc.


first you need a pretty trifle bowl and a lot of counter space. despite the muddy mess you'll make, a layered trifle is always worth the effort. especially when it takes hardly any effort at all. this is when mary–possibly my biggest blog fan–told me to start snapping photos. i like your step-by-step posts, she said with gusto. well, i like anyone who likes my posts. it's a win win.

spoon that glossy pudding in, sprinkle your toffee and smooth out your cool whip like it's a thick cloud of happiness. a pie expert once divulged that cool whip has staying power–will not wilt, melt, or soften as fast–therefore i completely justified not whipping the cream from scratch. martha was not invited to our party. and we were staying up til midnight. staying power is exactly what we needed, not something to be taken lightly. which is why i got carried away with the cool whip.


break up your skor bars with vigor. this step is important which is why i kept the blurry photo in. (plus, don't you just adore that stovetop and the brawny man behind the rolling pin!?) crush your skor bars with authority. i first gave them to the little kids for a crushing activity. however these skor bars needed a heavy-hand for extra thorough crushed bits. i told dan to pulverize these babies. he opted out of first putting them into ziplock baggies. he and ray thought leaving them in their wrappers was a clever idea instead. like dan says, there is a mommy way and then there is a daddy way...


once you're done smoothing out all the trifle layers, its time for the big unveil. you can see how captivated dan and his brother were when my trifle stood on its red carpet for the paparazzi. just kidding. they didn't even know i was there with my oscar de la renta. however dan does seem to be looking on with approval of his finely smashed candy topping.


ladle the dessert into quaint cups for your guests. do not scare them with this mad woman stare. what can i say, i'm mad about trifle. next time you're taking my photo, please alert me to the fact that my photo face might scare small children.


dish it up for darlings like grandma bernice. the little kids adorned her with the festive top hat, which she happily wore all night long. mm. mm. enjoy.



Chocolate Brownie Toffee Trifle
1 pan of brownies, broken up into pieces
1 or 2 large boxes of chocolate pudding
1 large tub of cool whip
skor bar bits (6-8 candy bars will do)

bake the brownies and let them cool. make up the instant chocolate pudding, according to the directions on the box.

in a trifle bowl, layer the following: brownie pieces, pudding, skor bar, cool whip, pudding & top with candy bar topping. (my mom drizzles caramel sauce in the middle for an added bonus.) repeat layering until bowl is completely filled. refrigerate dessert for at least an hour.

*kelly notes: this dessert is so easy and versatile. instead of skor bars, i've used chopped peppermint candies or even the andes mint baking chips.

*the amount of ingredients you'll need is dependent on how big your bowl is. however if you have leftover ingredients, layer them into soda fountain glasses or ramekins. delicious. desquishious.

16 comments:

MsAmanda said...

Yum!

my family makes the same recipe and we've always called it death by chocolate. The only difference is using chocolate mousse instead of pudding. I made it for New Years this year with a group of friends and it was a BIG hit.

Nadia said...

this looks like a wonder for parties! i've happily tagged and will probably make it for my upcoming housewarming party.

Kayla said...

I have never been a huge dessert person, but that does look so delicious! (:

Hil said...

YUM.

talesofahummingbird said...

definitely adding this to my battery of amazing-to-eat, easy-to-make dessert recipes to keep on standby for that next big event. thanks for sharing! and yes, the step by step photos are big hit. :)

KJ said...

next time you are hosting or taking dessert to a party, assemble the layers in individual dishes (clear plastic cups? goblets? anything clear). Voila! Everyone gets their own little pretty layered trifle, plus, there are no tell tale voids in the big trifle dish if you have second or thirds...

leigh said...

Yum! I love that dessert. This year I made it using crushed up candy canes instead of toffee. (Because that's what I had). And that was really good too!

J, K, L, and D said...

Excuse me, but YUMMA.

Amanda said...

Oh--am salivating right now.

Thanks for sharing the recipe Marta...my waistline doesn't thank you though:)

Travelin'Oma said...

My friend calls this "Better than Sex" cake. I think that says it all.

Dawn said...

Wow, this sounds DEADLY...but what a way to go!
xo

Katie {My Paisley Apron} said...

Love this post!! This was so fun to read and giggle over!

starcakeastrology.blogspot.com said...

that looks soooo good!

sunny said...

Looks so very tasty!!! yumm.

I cannot read about trifle without thinking of the Friends episode where Rachel made trifle but two pages of the cookbook stuck together and she makes half trifle and half shephards pie. All the "Friends" but Joey disliked it but Joey loved it.

Jen Lee said...

They sell bags of toffee bits by the chocolate chips~ which makes it a little easier. We also make it with chocolate cake instead of brownies.

Thanks for the cool whip tip. I really LOVE real whipped cream, but it would be worth using the cool whip with this to keep it from collapsing. Although, whenever I make this it is usually gone in about 15 minutes flat with someone scrapping the sides of the bowl!

Sarah Engel said...

this looks amazing and easy and i want it now, for breakfast;) thank you!! xo

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