Sometimes I get a wild hair to create a dessert that is kind of fancy. And for me, seeing a beautifully layered trifle in a lovely straight sided glass bowl, comes about as close to extravagant  as I am ever going to get. And if truth be told, trifle is not only lovely to behold, it is practically fool-proof to prepare and the taste and mouth feel are absolutely fabulous. Trifle is merely a layered dessert made with fruit, layers of cake, lady fingers, or as in this case brownies, layers of some type of liqueur fortified whipped cream, sometimes layers of custard, pudding, or mousse, then topped with whipped cream. Sounds onerous, right? Well it really isn’t!

And this trifle, based on a recipe from Gemma on the Bigger Bolder Baking site, is a perfect example. Yes there are several steps, but none are difficult, and all can be prepared ahead of time. (You can even cheat like I did, and use a mix for the brownie layer. See note below.)

And if you don’t happen to own a trifle dish, the best places I’ve found for something of this nature, at a reasonable price, are Marshall’s, Ross Dress for Less, or thrift shops.

So the next time you need a fantastic dessert for 15-20 people, make a trifle. You will forever thank me. And don’t hesitate to play with the ingredients. It’s peach season, make a trifle using peaches as the fruit. Love rhubarb and strawberries together, make a thick sauce and layer your trifle with this delicious compote. Just about any combination will work. Have fun. And if you make a trifle that rocks your socks, let me know. I’m always on the lookout for amazing new recipes to share with my readers.

And no, I didn’t decorate the top of the trifles. My dear friend Vicki put on the finishing touches. Thanks again to both you and Mark for helping me with last minute set-up for the JazzVox pre-concert meal.

Brownies:

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 1 c. plus 2 T. brown sugar
• 1 c. plus 2 T. granulated sugar
• 4 lg. eggs, room temperature
• 4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 c. good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ c. (9oz.) mini chocolate chips, or roughly chopped regular size chocolate chips, divided

Combine melted butter, oil, and both sugars in a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt till batter smooth and creamy.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and cocoa which you have first run through a fine mesh strainer. (Nothing worse than having chunks of cocoa or flour in your finished product.) Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. (Do not over mix). Fold in half of the chocolate chunks.

Pour the batter into a parchment paper lined 7×11-inch baking pan (preferably glass), smooth out the top, and sprinkle with the remaining ¾ cup chocolate chips over the top. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes in a pre-heated 325 degree (for glass) oven just until the center of the brownies no longer jiggles and is just set to the touch. (Set your oven at 350 if you are using a metal pan.)

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into small chunks. Can be prepared a day ahead. 

Chocolate Mousse

• 1 c. (6-oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 c. whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• pinch salt

Gently melt the chocolate chips in a glass bowl. Set aside to cool.

Using an electric mixer or the whip attachment for your stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is light, creamy, and totally devoid of lumps. 

Slowly add the whipping cream, vanilla, and salt. Continue beating until the mixture becomes thick. Take a large spoonful of the cream cheese mixture and quickly mix it into the cooled melted chocolate. Then swiftly fold the chocolate into the rest of the cream cheese mixture. Move quickly, because the chocolate will start to harden once added to the creamy mix.

Once the mixture is thick and creamy, place in the fridge until needed. The mousse can be made a day ahead.

Chambord Whipped Cream

• 2 c. whipping cream (reserve a bit for decorating the top of the trifle)
• 2 T. powdered sugar
• 2 T. raspberry liqueur (Chambord, Framboise)

Beat the whipping cream until it reaches the stage just before hard peaks. (Somewhere between soft and hard peaks.) Beat in the powdered sugar and raspberry liqueur. Refrigerate until needed.

Raspberry Layer

• 3 pints raspberries, divided

Garnish

Shaved chocolate (dark, milk, white or a combination thereof)

Building the Trifle

Cover the bottom of a trifle dish or 4-quart glass bowl with a bit of the chocolate mousse. Then cover the mousse with half of the brownie chunks. A few gaps here and there are great because then the next layer can help soften the brownie chunks.

Spread half of the Chambord whipped cream over the brownies. Press down a bit so the whipped cream fills in all the empty spaces.

Top the whipped cream with one pint of the raspberries. (Make sure some of the raspberries show through the glass.) Press down slightly. You want a nice compacted trifle. Spread on half or the chocolate mousse.

Repeat layering. (When you add the second layer of brownies, push them down a bit so they mush down into the chocolate mousse.)

Decorate the top with reserved whipped cream, the final pint of raspberries, and shaved chocolate. Refrigerate for at least a day before serving.

Note: If you are feeling lazy or overwhelmed, you can always use a package of brownie mix instead of baking your own brownies. To tell the truth, when I doubled this trifle recipe this past weekend, I used a couple of pouches from my supply of Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix (6 pouches to a box) I always keep on hand. Thank you Costco. Perfect brownies every time and I retained at least some of the sanity I am fervently trying to preserve! (I had several other dishes to prepare, and my energy level just isn’t where it used to be. And that’s putting it mildly!) But cooking is still my favorite way to keep my mind and body active. Now, where did I put that new box of baking soda again?