Who Wants Dessert?!

Maybe I didn't mention this but I also love to bake and cook and be a hostess so in my blog you will see a sprinkling of posts regarding my love for food, cooking it/baking it, and eating it  serving it! 

I love having people over and cooking for people...it's so rewarding...my husband especially loves me before guests come over...I am a wreck making sure the house looks perfect and everything (food wise) is on schedule.  It's really lovely I can assure you.  There is something satisfying when moments before your guests arrive the pillows are perfect, everything is in its place (or just hiding in a closet or unsuspecting drawer) and all of the food is placed around the table/house (I am big on leaving little dishes of candy/snacks around the house).  But there is also something rewarding about cozying up with the hubby and making a great dinner or baking cookies just because. 

One of my favorite things to do is BAKE!  I love cooking and trying new recipies but baking is my specialty (In my opinon).  Maybe it's beause I love licking a good beater drenched in chocolate cake mix or eating way too much of it after it's done but whatever it is I find myself having the urge to bake goodies for no reason at all.  My husband says I need to stop this before he gains a million pounds.  Being pregnant though is the PERFECT excuse to bake a whole pan of brownies and then eat them all....right!?  I've recently subscribed to some food blogs and I've been printing out recipies like crazy.  Some that I am anxious to try are: Peanut Butter Cheescake Swirl Brownies, Giant  Double chocolate chip cookies just to mention a few. 

I wanted to share a super easy but super yummy recipie of mine that is to DIE for (at least I think so).  It's Chocolate Heath Trifle.  Basically it's a grown up version of Dirt Cake...although I still love Direct cake-Gummy Worms and all!  It's the perfect mix of chocolate and fluffiness (does that even make sense?!) without being overly sweet like some concotions of its kind.  The reason I made this yummy dessert was actually because  I've been dieing to use this amazing trifle bowl we got as a wedding shower gift from Crate and Barrel:

For the entire year and some change we were married I had yet to use it.  I was feeling sorry that I had yet to allow this trifle bowl to fulfill it's trifle destiny so I popped open google and began searching for a trifle that didn't have layers of lady fingers, beef sauteed with peas and oninons... (someone?  anyone?  know what I am referencing here!?) 
I digress.  It didn't take long to find something that had me drooling!  Chocolate Heath Trifle!  What's not to love...chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, whipped cream (which of course I planned to make from scratch) and heath bar crumbles.  YUM! And no where in the recipie did it call for beef!  SCORE!   So here is the recipie...I can't quite remember where it is from but I now have it memorized so don't worry...here it is:

Chocolate Heath Bar Trifle:

• 1 box of  chocolate cake mix (or your favorite chocolate cake recipie if you are feeling ambitious-I love the Cocoa Cake that can be found on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa tin) 
• 1 box of Jell-O instant chocolate pudding (you could substitute with sugar free jell-o but why...it's already bad for you and you might as well make it taste good!) 
• whipped cream (I make mine from scratch and will post the recipie below)  You could also use Cool Whip softened.  It's so easy to make and tastes so much better so I highly recommend making it from scratch
• Crushed Heath Bars (I crushed a bag of fun size bars until I discovered that you can buy a bag already crushed-Wal-Mart carries them)  Either way works just fine!

Bake your chocolate cake as instructed on the box or recipie.  Let cool completely.
While cake is baking/cooling make your pudding-chill
Make your whipped cream (or just leave the Cool Whip in the fridge or counter to thaw (if you had it frozen).
Crush your heath bars (if you didn't get them already crushed!) 
Once cake is completely cool, cut into squares (you will have some left over...which is good to eat while you assemble your trifle)
You can assemble your trifle in a trifle bowl (as seen above) or a large glass bowl would work just as well. 

Start with your layer of chocolate cake.
Add half of the pudding.
Add half of the whipped cream (or desired amount)
Add half of the heath crumbles
Repeat. 

Whipped Cream (this is a double recipie and was just enough for the trifle with some left over-to add to my hot chocolate later that day!)-side note;  Barefoot Contessa has a Rum Whipped Cream I've been wanting to try and I think it would be yummy with this:.

2 cups of heavy cream
2 tsp of vanilla extract
2 tbs. confectioners (10X) sugar

In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter-like.

Once assembled the trifle will look like this:

And taste like this:

Delicious!!!! 

I could be slightly exagerating on the taste...it may not be AS yummy as my friend Charles Brandon looks but it's definitely a contender! 

This post is really making me crave this dessert...now an excuse to make it...I KNOW... it's Friday!!!