Peppermint Brownie Trifle

 

If you’re looking for something both festive and memorable to serve on New Year’s Eve, or New Year’s Day, this very well could be your answer. I made this to serve as dessert on Boxing Day, and people gobbled it up. It’s referred to as a trifle, but my impression was more that it was a layered dessert rather than a trifle, because, in my experience, trifles are more custard-y than this one that has layers of brownies, separated by peppermint cheesecake. It’s unique and showy; and elements can be made ahead of time prior to assembly. I encourage you to make this 2 to 3 days prior to serving.

Peppermint Brownie Trifle

 For the Brownie Layer

1 c. butter

½ c. dark cocoa powder

4 large eggs

2 c. sugar

2 t. vanilla extract

1 t. kosher salt

1½ c. flour

½ t. baking powder

 For the Cheesecake Layer

2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature

½ c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

½ t. peppermint extract

2½ c. Andes Peppermint Crunch Chips, divided

2 t. shortening

3 T. whole milk

2½ c. heavy whipping cream, whipped, divided

 Andes Peppermint Crunch candy bars

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9” x 13” pan with Baker’s Joy.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the cocoa powder. Let cool slightly.

 Beat the eggs until light colored. Add the sugar and extracts and beat again. Stir in ¼ cup of butter/cocoa mixture quickly. Add the rest of the butter mixture and beat again.

 Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly beat into the wet mixture in the bowl. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove and let cool.

 Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and extracts until light and creamy. Set aside.

 Place 1½ cups Andes peppermint chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds. Stir and heat again if needed until creamy. Pour into cream cheese mixture and beat until mixed in. Fold in 1 cup of the whipped cream and ½ cup Andes chips.

 Cut the brownies into 1” squares. Place half the brownies in the bottom of a trifle bowl.

 Top with half of the peppermint cheesecake. Repeat layers. Cover the top with 1 cup of whipped cream and top with more Andes chips.

 Pipe the remaining whipped cream around the edges with a piping bag and icing tip #21. Top with Andes Peppermint Crunch candy bars. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until serving.

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Oreo Cheesecake Trifle

My granddaughter, Gabby, celebrated her fifth birthday last week. I invited her and the family over for dessert and presents. Both of my grandkids (as well as my son and daughter-in-law, who celebrates her birthday at the end of this week) are great appreciators of desserts. As a consequence, I try to be dazzling. So when I spotted this Oreo Cheesecake Trifle on the Life, Love and Sugar blog, I knew I had to make it.  I was lulled into a false sense of security with the idea that this was no-bake. It was far more labor intensive than I had anticipated. Still, it was unique among trifles that I have made, and a real crowd-pleaser. It is also extremely rich, so don’t do what my son did, and ladle heaping spoonfuls into the ample bowls that I had foolishly provided. Serve smaller portions in demitasse or teacups. I have adapted the original recipe a bit. The original called for making brownies from scratch. Life is too short to spend time making a brownie from scratch that is ultimately going to be buried under layers of filling. Use your favorite box mix, and save yourself some grief.

Oreo Cheesecake Trifle
From Life, Love and Sugar, edited for ease and clarity

1 box brownie mix (I used Ghirardelli)

Oreo Cheesecake Layer
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups Oreo crumbs (about 16 Oreo cookies)

Whipped Cream Layer
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Extras
1/2 cup Hershey‘s Special Dark chocolate syrup
10 Oreo cookies, rough chopped (you should have 5 to 6 left in the package, use those as a garnish on top)

Prepare brownies according to package directions. Set aside to cool, and then cut into small squares.

Place cream cheese and sugar into the work bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in milk and vanilla extract until well combined. Set aside. In another bowl beat the heavy whipping cream with the powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Slowly fold whipped cream mixture into cream cheese mixture until combined. Fold in Oreo cookie crumbs.

Beat remaining heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form; set aside.

To assemble trifle, divide brownies in half. Crumble half of them on the bottom of the trifle dish. Top these with half of the cheesecake filling, smoothing it to cover with a spatula. Sprinkle 3/4 of the chopped Oreos on top of the cheesecake filling. Drizzle chocolate sauce overall. Layer 2/3 of the whipped cream on top of the crumbled Oreos spreading to even out. Add another layer of brownies, then remaining cheesecake filling. Top trifle with remaining whipped cream, either swirling or piping it on top in a decorative fashion. Continue decorating top with remaining chopped Oreos and chocolate syrup. Place whole Oreos upright on top in little mounds of whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This keeps in the refrigerator up to three days.

PRINT RECIPE

Another delicious, crowd-pleasing chocolate dessert that is also make ahead are these Chocolate Éclair Squares (also available in a chocolate and peanut butter combination here).

This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Celebrate Your Story

Inspire Me Tuesday

Full Plate Thursday

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Pattie's Desperation Trifle

When Jim mentioned, rather forlornly this morning, as he was walking out the door that he didn't get his usual trifle for his birthday this year (and I knew that due to unforeseen circumstances he didn't get one last year), I kicked into high gear and put this together while he was gone. I had to remove shelves in order to get it into the fridge!

Trifle is his favorite dessert, bar none, and he has a number of recipes for them, but I had no time to dig for recipes, just gathered things up like a squirrel preparing for winter and started assembling.  The bowl isn't even a trifle bowl.  It's a lidded glass candy dish that I bought in December at Crate & Barrel to use as part of the centerpiece on my Boxing Day table.  It worked out just perfectly! (Which pretty much goes to show you can make a trifle in any size.)

The process is shown below, the result was delicious!  Instead of vanilla pudding I made an orange custard that was just heaven (recipe below).  I'm going to keep it in mind for the summer as it would go extremely well on strawberry shortcake, or simply to top a bowl of fresh berries of any kind.  I can hardly wait until spring!

Slice Sara Lee pound cake into 3/4" slices.

Spread each slice with a thick coating of raspberry jam.

Fit pieces into the bottom of trifle dish as though you're putting a puzzle together, and drizzle generously, and I'm talking GENEROUSLY with cream sherry.  (You might just give it a taste, you know, to make sure it's still good.)

Top cake layer with fresh raspberries that have been thoroughly rinsed and inverted on paper towels to completely dry.

Pour a third of the custard over raspberries and spread to cover.

Repeat with another layer of cake, this time coating it with blueberry jam.  Again GENEROUSLY drizzle with sherry, and top with fresh blueberries and strawberries.  Is this a work of art, or what?  I seriously hated to cover it up with another layer of custard cream and cake, but I did.  The final layer of cake I coated with raspberry jam, once again, and placed it jam-side down on top of the berries -- more sherry --and then topped it all with whipped cream and strawberry garnish.

Look at those luscious layers.

I love this spoon that hangs from the side of the bowl (another Crate & Barrel purchase).

Beautiful!

Needless to say, he was surprised, and very pleased.  Here's the recipe for the custard that I used, but Instant French Vanilla pudding would work just fine.

Orange Custard Cream
1 1/2 cups milk

1 tablespoon grated orange zest 

5 extra-large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Triple Sec

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Combine the milk and orange zest in a medium stainless steel saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Remove from the heat.

Beat the yolks and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add cornstarch. Beat on medium-low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Turn the mixer to low and pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture back into the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes. Watch very carefully as it tends to thicken very fast.  Once thickened, remove from heat and add the vanilla, Triple Sec, butter and cream.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.

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