Caramel Brownie Trifle: An apology for my personal time warp.

Sometimes it's the middle of August, life is great, you're buzzing along thinking about how nice summer is and then you look around and wonder why the leaves are suddenly all orange and you look at your calendar and realize-- HOLY CRAP IT'S LATE OCTOBER!

For what it's worth, this is the meager excuse I have for my lack of posts in the last couple months -- it's not my fault… it should still be August. To make up for my personal time warp, I've decided to write about something incredibly decadent yet ridiculously easy to make--brownie trifle!

Of course I made it in jars (it has to travel to a cookout because I'm not the only one to miss the memo about it not being summer anymore). If you'd rather make it in a trifle dish, however, more power to you.

I make this trifle when I have a craving for something sinfully chocolatey. Something gooey and delicious and full of comfort food goodness. Or, you know, whenever I can come up with an excuse.

Although it's delicious and addictive, the problem of brownie trifle is that it that it makes a TON. Once I made this for my friends in grad school and we ate it for DAYS. DAYS. So be prepared. Don't make this without giving it serious thought first and considering the full ramifications.

Also, this is another one of those short cut recipes -- nothing (but the whipped cream, and you can substitute cool whip if you're super lazy) is made from scratch. So easy!

Caramel Brownie Trifle

1 package family sized brownie mix (+ oil, egg(s) and water as called for on the package)
1 package instant pudding
2 c milk
1 ½ c heavy cream
1 t vanilla
2 T powdered sugar
Toffee bits
Caramel ice cream topping

Make the brownie batter as directed in the recipe. If you're making it in jars, divide the batter evenly among 2 dozen jars. If you're making it in a trifle dish, bake it in a 9X13 pan as directed in the package. It took me about 30 minutes to bake the brownies in the jars.

While the brownies are still hot, poke some holes in them with a fork and drizzle with caramel sauce. I put about a teaspoon in each jar. If you're making it in a trifle dish, skip this for the moment. You can come back to it later.

While the brownies are cooling make the pudding -- I made it by putting 2 cups of milk in a jar, adding in the pudding mix, putting on the lid and shaking like mad.

Also, make the heavy cream. Add the cream, vanilla and powdered sugar to a standing mixer and whip whip whip until stiff peaks form.

If you're making a trifle in the trifle dish cut the brownies into pieces and begin layering them in the trifle dish. Drizzle with caramel. Then put in one layer of chocolate pudding, one layer of whipped cream, and start again with brownies and repeat! Brownies, caramel, pudding, whipped cream. End with whipped cream and sprinkle with toffee bits. Yum.

If you're making the trifle in jars, put in one layer of pudding, one layer of whipped cream, and sprinkle with toffee bits.

Refrigerate at least 3 hours. The beauty of this recipe is that it just ets better with time. It's even better the next day, so I often make mine the night before.

Enjoy!