Dinner Party Extraordinaire: Dessert

Dessert is a holy affair for me. No meal is complete without it. For the double-birthday, I pulled out an old favorite -- the chocolate trifle cups. I've cursed missing these since I forgot to bring any of them home. Note to self: set half aside for me, half for the guests.

Chocolate Trifle Cups

- brownie mix (and all it requires)

- instant pudding (one package)

- water (1/2 cup)

- whipped creme (30 oz. total)

- sugar (3 tbs)

- heavy cream (1/2 pint to 1 pint)

- bar of chocolate

- for individual cups, buy clear plastic cups

- additional garnishes, like strawberries, etc. are up to you

1. Bake brownies according to directions on the box. This is critical. Eat one for yourself, and cut the rest up into perfect squares.

2. Mix up the instant pudding with water. Mix in about 8 oz. of whipped cream into the pudding. Whisk 3 tbsps of sugar with 1/2 pint of heavy cream. Slowly pour in this mixture into the instant pudding and whisk all of it together, very well. Now learn to call this chocolate mousse.

3. Begin assembly. Layer the bottom of the cups with brownies. Then layer on top the chocolate mousse. Layer on top the whipped cream. Repeat once more.

4. Take a vegetable peeler to a full bar of chocolate and peel carefully on top of the top layer of whipped cream.

5. Step back and marvel at your creation.

** I had a particularly difficult time making things look pretty when trying to spoon the mousse and whipped cream onto the cups. I used Ziploc bags to save me. I poured the mousse into one, sealed the top shut, and cut one of the corner off to use as a pastry bag. Repeat for the whipped cream (thawed) and life was pretty simple. I did end up getting a lot of chocolate all over myself, but this is not something I perceive as a problem.