3 Alternative Trifles That Belong On Your Christmas Table This Year

1. To make the caramel, add the sugar in an even layer to the bottom of a medium saucepan.

2. Heat sugar on medium-high and whisk until the sugar has melted, about 5 minutes. The sugar will lump together, but eventually melt.

3. Continue whisking until the temperature reaches 350 degrees or the sugar has turned an amber color. It will reach 350 degrees very quickly after all the sugar has melted. Watch it very closely. It goes from nice caramel to burned very quickly.

4. Remove caramel from heat and add butter. Whisk until melted and combined. Mixture might bubble a bit.

5. Add the heavy cream and whisk until incorporated.

6. Cool caramel to room temperature.

7. To make the apples, combine apples, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar in a medium pan and toss to coat.

8. Add butter and cook apples for about 15-20 minutes, or until at preferred softness.

9. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.

10. To make cinnamon whipped cream, freeze a metal bowl and whisk attachment for 10-15 minutes.

11. Remove bowl from freezer, add heavy whipping cream, and whip on high speed until it begins to thicken.

 

FUDGE BROWNIE

• 4 Tbsp cold and unsalted butter
• 10 oz Good quality chocolate (72% cocoa solids)
• 1½ Cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 4 Whole eggs, beaten lightly
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ Cups A.p flour
• ½ tsp salt

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Enough water to cover the sugar
• 6 Tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, cut up into 6 pieces*
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon salt

SALTED CARAMEL MOUSSE

• 1 cup Salted Caramel Sauce (above recipe)
• 2 Tblsp granulated sugar
• 2 packs (1 lb) Cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 cups heavy cream, cold

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

• 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream

1. First layer to make is the fudge Brownies:
2. Preheat the oven to 350oF. Grease and line a 13×9 inch baking pan
3. Combine the butter, chocolate and sugar in medium saucepan; stir over medium heat until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool down.
4. Stir in the eggs, vanilla, flour and salt
5. Pour Brownie mix into the prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes. Take care not to over bake or they can be dry, and not fudgy. When baked, set aside to go cold until needed. The brownies freeze really well if you don’t eat them all at once
6. For the Salted Caramel Sauce: Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula.
7. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
8. Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
9. Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes.
10. Very slowly, drizzle in ½ cup of heavy cream. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
11. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool down before using.
12. SALTED CARAMEL MOUSSE: Transfer cream cheese into mixer. Beat at medium-high speed until smooth and no lumps, about 4 minutes.
13. Add in the reserved salted caramel sauce and sugar. Continue to beat on high until fluffy, another 3 minutes., the more air the better your mousse will be.
14. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Divide the cream in half, half for the mousse and other half for cream layers.
15. Fold ½ whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Place in fridge until needed. Taste a spoonful so you know what you have to look forward to.
16. Place the other bowl of cream in the fridge until assembly of the trifle.
17. CHOCOLATE SAUCE: Heat the cream. Pour over the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
18. ASSEMBLING THE TRIFLE: In a large trifle dish (or a big glass bowl) crumble in your fudge brownie. Leave some bits chunky so you have nice chewy texture to match the soft mousse and cream.
19. Next, spoon over the Salted Caramel sauce to moisten the brownie.
20. Scoop in a large spoonful of the Salted Caramel Mousse and move it around to reach the edges
21. Drizzle the rich Chocolate Sauce over the Salted Caramel Mousse layer and spoon on the whipped cream layer all the way to the edges.
22. Repeat the layers again from the start: Crumbled Brownie, Caramel Sauce, Caramel Mousse, Chocolate sauce, Whipped Cream.
23. To finish, crumble some brownie crumbs and drizzle over the gorgeous sauces.

Recipe and photography by Bigger Bolder Baking.