Luckily for you, you not hosting Thanksgiving. This means the turkey is someone else’s responsibility. But I know you, you’re a nice person, you are going to bring something sweet to finish the night on the right foot. Why not prepare a fantastic layered dessert that will take the talk from tryptophan and why it makes everyone so tired and change it to your fantastic treats.
Our Photography Process
When lighting these treats we wanted to keep the lighting soft to allow the layers of sweets within the glass to be seen properly without distracting highlights. To achieve this we created a soft lighting primarily from behind and above the product. Our main light was a soft box overhead to fill the light throughout the front and top. We used a more direct light source from the back right to help give us great shadows and dimension to the whip cream and brownie on top. Finally, we filled additional light from the left with a large diffused light source - careful to avoid sharp highlights in the glass.
Brownie Trifle Recipe
If you choose to make your own Brownies/pudding or buy it at a store, you are still allowed to call this rich and flavorful desert a homemade treat. I mean, you did piece it all together, right? We included our favorite recipes for homemade brownies, chocolate pudding and whipped cream but feel free to skip down to the bottom for the trifle recipe if you already have a recipe you love.
Home Made Brownies
Brownie Ingredients:
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter melted then cooled
2 eggs room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
5 Crushed Oreo Cookies *Optional
Brownie Instructions
Sift together all dry ingredients.
Melt butter and set aside to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, beat two eggs with the vanilla.
Add in and gently stir dry ingredients.
Pour the melted butter into brownie mixture and mix until just incorporated.
Spread batter in a prepared 8-inch square pan and Sprinkle Crushed Oreos on top of batter
Bake for 20-22 minutes at 350 degrees.
Let cool and refrigerate for 2 hours
Or, buy brownies
Home Made Chocolate Pudding
Pudding Ingredients
2 Large Egg Yolks
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
2 cups Whole Milk, Divided
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Chocolate Extract (or Vanilla Extract)
Pudding Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks for about 60 seconds until light yellow and increased in volume, then whisk in the cornstarch and about 1/4 cup of the milk. Once smooth and incorporated, set aside.
Place the sugar, cocoa, salt, and remaining milk in a saucepan, and bring to a scald over medium-high heat, which is when the liquid is about 180-190ºF. This is before the mixture comes to a boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and, while whisking constantly, dribble the hot cocoa into the egg cornstarch mixture very gradually. Be careful not to scramble the eggs.
Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium high heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue whisking for a couple minutes until the pudding is thickened.
Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the chocolate or vanilla extract. Pour the pudding into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding so a skin doesn't form. Refrigerate for an hour or two until chilled.
Or, buy pudding.
Home Made Whipped Cream
Whipped Cream Ingredients
4 cups heavy cream, very cold
⅓ cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Instructions
Place the sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl and whisk (or mix with the aid of a stand or electric mixer) just until the cream reaches stiff peaks.
Or, buy whipped cream.
Brownie Trifle
Brownie Trifle Ingredients
Brownies (Optional Oreo Brownies)
Chocolate Pudding
Whipped Cream
Oreo Cookies
Brownie Trifle Instructions
Dice the chilled brownies into 1/2 inch cubes and Crush the Oreo Cookies in a bag
Layer brownies in the bottom of the serving glass.
Apply a layer of chocolate pudding over brownies
Add Whipped cream above the pudding
Top the whipped cream with crushed Oreo Cookies
REPEAT steps 2-5 until glass is full
Serve immediately or store in refrigerator