Chocolate Toffee Trifle

Here's a dessert I made for a Going Away party at work that got glowing praise. (Don't get too excited, people at my work will eat week-old burnt-bottom cookies if you put them in the break room.) But, in my opinion, this dessert actually deserved the praise! Also, it's not a bad dessert to transport in the car because the top won't get squashed even if you make a crazy turn and the plastic wrap sinks onto the dessert. (Not that that's ever happened to me.)

I got 16 servings out of this trifle. People don't need a huge scoop of the stuff because it's a rich and creamy dessert.

The BEST part of this recipe is that I got to use my TRIFLE DISH!!!! *squeals* How fun is it to use those tools in your kitchen that are only good for one thing? (I'm looking at you, waffle maker.) Now, you can make this dessert in any large bowl, although hopefully it's at least a clear glass bowl so you can see the layers, but you won't get the WOW factor that comes with a trifle dish.

Please note that the brownies have to be made, then cooled, AND the assembled trifle has to be refrigerated for 8 hours before serving. So, you probably want to make this the day before you need it.

Chocolate Toffee Trifle
Modified from a recipe by "Wayne" on allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 (19.8 oz) package brownie mix
1 (3.9 oz) package instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
1/2 Cup water
8 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip (or equivalent) - THAWED
2-3 Heath or Skor candy bars, crushed
1 pint heavy cream
6 Tbsp sugar
1 jar of caramel ice cream topping

Directions:

1. Take the Cool Whip out of the freezer since it needs to be thawed. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Cool completely. Cut into inch squares or smaller.


2. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth and then fold in 8 oz Cool Whip until no streaks remain.
   
3. Use the whisk attachment on your mixer and make whip cream by mixing the heavy cream and sugar on medium speed for a minute, then turn it up to medium high speed until soft peaks form.
   
4. In a trifle bowl or glass serving dish, place half the brownies, drizzle some caramel topping, toss on some crushed toffee bar, add half the pudding mixture, add half the whipped cream. REPEAT layers. Add some drizzled caramel and toffee on the top as garnish.
   
5. REFRIGERATE 8 hours before serving.

MY TIPS -
1. If you don't cool the brownies completely before assembling the trifle, you will end up with a runny, melted mess.

2. Think about substituting raspberries for the toffee chips.

3. If you plan to transport the thing, wait to add the garnish until you arrive at the location. Then you won't have any worries about the top getting messed up en route.

4. Crushing the toffee bars with the back of an ice cream scoop is strangely cathartic. And loud.

5. If there is a "cake like" or "fudge-like" option on the brownie box, go with "fudge-like" brownies. I tried it both ways and although the cake-like soaks up the pudding better, the consistency was almost soggy. The fudge-like brownies were divine and took this dessert from nice trifle, to ooh-la-la trifle.