LSL {Foodie Friday} - Christmas in a Bowl

I love chocolate, I love brownies and I love peppermint. This Foodie Friday I found the best of all worlds; a recipe that includes chocolate, brownies and peppermint! Christmas in a Bowl. And it sounds fantastic. The Faux Martha created this delicious recipe and I definitely need to get to trying to make, so I can get to trying it. This may be a little more complex than most of the recipes featured here, but I believe it's well worth it for this Christmas treat.

Christmas in a Bowl


{adapted from The Faux Martha via Martha Stewart}

(note: trifle must rest 12 hours before serving)

Serves 20

MOUSSE


-2 1/2 c. heavy cream


-10 oz. white chocolate, coarsely chopped


-1/2 c. peppermint candies, crushed

PUDDING


-8 oz. dark chocolate, coarsely chopped


-2 c. heavy cream


-3 large egg yolks, room temperature

BROWNIES


-1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter


-8 oz. dark chocolate, coarsely chopped


-1 1/2 c. sugar


-4 large eggs


-1 tsp. pure vanilla extract


-3/4 c. all-purpose unbleached flour


-1/2 tsp. sea salt

GARNISH

1/4 c. peppermint candies, crushed

1. Make the mousse: Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Place white chocolate in a bowl. Bring 1 cup cream almost to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate and stir until smooth. Set in ice-water bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to hold ribbons on surface, about 15 minutes. Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups of cream to nearly stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture until smooth, then fold in candies. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thickened and almost firm, 4 to 6 hours.


2. Make the pudding: Put chocolate into a large bowl; set aside. Bring cream almost to a boil in a small saucepan. Whisk yolks in a bowl. Pour 1/2 cup of hot cream in to the eggs in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Pour mixture back into pan, whisk well. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Set bowl in ice-water bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to hold ribbons on surface, about 15 minutes. Place plastic wrap directly on surface; refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.


3. Make the brownies: Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8-inch square baking pan or heatproof glass dishpan
with overlapping parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Set aside. Place butter and chocolate in a double boiler or large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water; stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; let cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. They will be fudgy. Using parchment, lift brownies out of pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely.


4. Assembly: Spread one-third of the mousse into bottom of a glass trifle bowl that is 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Crumble brownies, and top with 1/2 of the brownies. Top with half the pudding, then another third of mousse. Place remaining brownie crumbles on top. Top with remaining pudding, then mousse. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 12 hours. Garnish with peppermint candies just before serving.

Faux Martha puts it into words nicely about her Christmas in a Bowl, "...don’t judge her book by the cover. You wont be able to put her down. And when you’re done, you’ll wish there was more."  It might not be the prettiest dessert in the book, but it sounds like one of the tastiest. Also head to FM's website for more helpful hints on where to buy the best and cheapest ingredients for this recipe, here.

Bon Appetit!

xo

L