This dessert is so easy to make and freezes so nicely that there's really no reason you shouldn't be making it. Also, kids and adults alike will both enjoy the creamy texture and visual appeal. The mousse is also quite easy to vary in the ways you present it. The recipe below yields about 15 of these mini trifle cups.

VANILLA MOUSSE

1 8 oz. Rich's whip
1-2 T. confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the whip until stiff peaks form. Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla extract and beat another 5 seconds until incorporated. Attach a Wilton 1M tip to a piping bag, or slip it through the inside of a gallon-size resealable bag. Add the mousse to the bag.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

1 8 oz. Rich's whip
1/2 cup praline paste
4 oz. high quality dark chocolate (the higher the percentage of cacao, the better)

In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the whip until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, melt the chocolate and praline paste in the microwave until smooth. Add to the whip and beat 5 seconds more until incorporated. Attach a Wilton 1M tip to a piping bag, or slip it through the inside of a gallon-size resealable bag. Add the mousse to the bag.

TOPPING

Sprinkles, crushed sandwich cookies, colored sugar crystals, edible pearls, etc.

Pipe vanilla (or chocolate) mousse into trifle cups, starting from the outermost part and working your way inwards and upwards. Repeat with the chocolate (or vanilla) mousse. You may also alternate brown and white, using two layers of each. Top with whatever topping you chose.

TIP: If using the trifle cups pictured above, you can simply put the filled cups back into the plastic box packaging, put that into a Ziploc, and freeze it compactly and efficiently!



NOTE: You can also do a variation of this with a crust on the bottom by doing the following. Pulse half a package of Oreo-style cookies with 2 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter in a food processor until you get crumbs. Press into the cups before adding the other layers.

This decadent treat is a health nut's nightmare! Whenever people label me as a health nut or something like that, I am quick to assure them that I also indulge in deliciously fattening and calorie-laden treats from time to time. I have one stipulation, though: the treat (or "cheat" as some may call it) must taste DELICIOUS!!! Not just look delicious. You know how so many of the sweet table delicacies at weddings and events are actually not so great once you bite into them? Cake too dry or too oily, fudges too margarine-y, chocolates too waxy, etc. This dream dessert, however, definitely passes inspection and is a worthy indulgence!

There are two variations that I came up with (there are plenty, I'm sure) so here they are. Both recipes are the same, with the second one using fewer of the ingredients. using the following ingredients I was able to make both recipes.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE:

2 sticks margarine (or 1 cup oil)
1/2 cup granulate sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 eggs`
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/3 cups flour
chocolate chips (I use most of a bag)

FOR THE LAYERED TOPPINGS:

peanut butter (I used natural PB without added sugar)
8 oz whipped topping (small Rich's whip)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup praline paste
1 oz good quality chocolate
14 oreo-style sandwich cookies
thin pretzel sticks
1 oz good quality baking chocolate
leftover chocolate chips from previous recipe (about a handful)
edible glitter / gold balls / garnish (optional)
1 tsp cocoa

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In an electric mixer combine all the ingredients for the chocolate chip cookie cake in the given order. Press some of the mixture into the bottom of an 8" square pan. Press the rest of the mixture into the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan. Bake both cakes until the edges are golden and the tops are set. Let cool.

FOR THE 8" SQUARE CAKE:

Spread the the peanut butter in a thin layer over the top of the cake. Separate 8 of the oreo cookies and remove the cream from inside. Arrange the 16 cookies over the top of the cake (4 rows of 4 each).

Whip the topping until stiff. Add the vanilla extract and confectioner's sugar and whip to combine. Melt the praline paste and good quality chocolate in a microwave safe bowl until smooth and add to HALF of the whipped cream. Save the other half for the next recipe. Spread the praline mixture over the oreo cookies to completely cover them. Reserve some for the next recipe.

Break the pretzel sticks in little pieces and sprinkle over the top. Toss the chocolate chips on top. Melt the baking chocolate in a ziploc bag and with the tip snipped off, pipe the chocolate all over to drizzle. Add the optional garnishes.

Freeze until firm and cut into squares!



FOR THE INDIVIDUAL ROUND DESSERTS:

While the 9" x 13" chocolate chip cookie cake is still warm, use a 2" round metal cookie cutter and press into the pan to create 8 circles.

Spread the tops with peanut butter. Separate the remaining 6 oreo cookies, removing the cream, and place one cookie half on each cake circle. You'll be left with 4 pieces. Crush them into crumbs and place around the cookie, as a border.

In a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip (large star), add the remaining praline mixture to one side of the bag and the whipped cream on the other side. This way, when you pipe, both mixtures will blend together nicely. Pipe swirly puffs on each dessert.

Sift the cocoa on top using a small sifter and garnish with edible glitter crystals.

This pudding is by far the best chocolate dessert you will ever taste. That's because of the secret ingredient that turns yum into WOW! Kids can mix the ingredients together and an adult can cook it. Easy to make with ingredients you already have on hand, here you go:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dutch process cocoa
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups whole milk
2 tbsp (1 oz.) chocolate liquor (I used Bicerin)
1 tsp vanilla extract




INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix the dry ingredients in a small saucepan. Add the milk and turn the heat on to medium-high, stirring often. Once you reach a simmer, add the liquor and bring to a full boil. Cook another minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract. Immediately pour into portion-sized cups. Let cool until firm and enjoy! I like to cool at room temperature and eat the pudding while still warm, but you can refrigerate and eat it cold too!

This crumble recipe is a great base for any bake-able fruits, really. I've used apples, cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, pears, peaches, etc. and they always tasted delicious. If you use tart apples or tart berries like cranberries, you will need to add some sweetener. Otherwise, it's not really necessary but you can add some if you like.  What's great is that you can store the extra crumbs in a ziploc in the freezer and use it whenever you want! If you make an entire 9x13x2 pan, you will use most, if not all, of the crumbs.

CRUMBLE INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 scoop vanilla sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup oil

FRUIT MIXTURE

several baking apples, peeled and sliced thinly (I prefer Macintosh and Cortland)
fresh or frozen berries (if frozen, rinse first to remove the frost)
sugar or Splenda, to taste
cinnamon, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the crumble ingredients in a bowl. Press some of the crumbs into the bottom of a baking dish or pan so you have a 1/4" layer.

In another bowl, combine the fruits with sugar or Splenda and cinnamon. If using very juicy fruits (such as ripe peaches, soft strawberries) you may want to add 1/4 tsp corn starch to thicken it while baking.

Layer on top of the pressed in crumbs. Pile the fruit till slightly over-filled because they will shrink while baking. Add more crumbs to cover the entire top of the pan. Cover the pan with foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes (or longer for larger pans). When the fruit is soft (pierce with a knife to check), remove the cover, raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue baking for about 20 minutes until the top is crispy and tanned. Let cool and enjoy.

These are fun little treats that are oh-so-yummy as well as oh-so-elegant. I recently tasted a sampling of artisanal popcorn and decided to try my hand at it. Here's what I came up with.

RECIPE

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 pouch microwave popcorn (approximately 10 cups)



INSTRUCTIONS

Pop the microwave popcorn as per the directions. Empty the popcorn into a large resealable bag.

In a small bowl, microwave the chocolate chips until mostly melted, about 1 minute, stopping halfway through to stir. Mix in the peanut butter and microwave for another 15 seconds. Pour the mixture into the bag of popcorn. Seal the bag and toss to evenly coat the popcorn. Spread out the coated popcorn onto a sheet of wax paper to dry for 30 minutes. Note: They will still feel slightly sticky afterwards. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.