Potluck Help: Tiramisu Brownie Trifle

You know what July is, right?

That’s correct. A germaphobe’s worst nightmare – it’s pitch-in potluck dinner month. It all starts with a holiday, then it’s summer BBQs, family reunions, church suppers and block parties every weekend.

For some folks, figuring out something to take to these events is not hard. They just always take the same thing. Everytime. For some, it’s potato salad. For others it’s cheesy potatoes. I’ve even been guilty of doing this from time to time. But I got to tell you, after I’ve made 8 batches of cheesy potatoes, it’s o.k. with me if I never see another cheesy potato as long as I live – let alone eat one.

You have to admit, sometimes you just need to take something different. Sometimes they may even ask you to bring something different. Finding out you’ve been assigned to dessert when you always make the veggie tray can be downright frustrating.

This is why I’ve decided to try and focus on a few wonderful dishes that you can add to your potluck arsenal. And today we’re starting with the important stuff – dessert.

Now, if you are in a bind and need a different idea right now for something that isn’t a dessert you can try out one of these:

Vegetable Blondies

Creamy Spanish Rice Bake

Cucumber Salad (Sassy Cuke Salad)

Ranch Pretzels

Or even last weeks Two Cheese Dip or Marinated Mozzarella would work well.

But not today. Today we’re going to talk about chocolate. And coffee. And Oreos.

This recipe has actually been over in the articles section of Angie’s Pangies for a while. Yeah, I know, I forget that the article section is there, too.  There are quite a few goodies over there. I don’t update it any longer, but I haven’t taken anything down, either. Check it out when you have a minute or two.

Tiramisu Brownie Trifle

10-12 Servings

1 package (19-21ounces) Brownie Mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like Brownies)
1 C Milk
1/4 C Instant coffee granules
1- 12 ounce container of Frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
2 packages (3.4 ounce) Cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling
20 Chocolate creme-filled sandwich cookies, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
1/4 C Grated or shaved semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

First prepare the brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies.  The directions say to use a bigger box of brownies than what I have in the picture. I didn’t realize that until it was too late, so you’ll just have to pretend I made the bigger box of brownies.

I know you’re looking at the hole in these brownies. Although it probably doesn’t need any explanation – this is what happens when you have one 11 year old girl (Ahem, LILLY!) who has no self control around chocolate, one Mom who is busy out by the bonfire with her friends (and a margarita) and one pan of brownies left alone on the cooling rack in the kitchen. Oh well, just cut around the Lilly finger marks and carry on.

So, anyhow. Let the brownies cool completely on a wire rack. When cool, cut brownies into 1 inch squares. Place half of the brownies in the bottom of a 3 quart bowl or a trifle bowl.

Trifle bowls are basically bowls on pedestals. I picked this one up very inexpensively at a big box store. If you don’t have one or don’t want to buy one just use a regular glass bowl.

Don’t worry about these being in perfect squares, just crumble them up and try to cover most of the bottom.

In a medium bowl, combine milk and instant coffee granules; stir until dissolved. Add half of the whipped topping and pudding mix; whisk until smooth.

At our house, we call these Papaw Cookies. When Katie was little she would drag them out of my parent’s cabinet over and over and over again and yell “Papaw! Cookies!” until he would give in and give her an Oreo. I don’t think it took a lot of convincing on her part, honestly. Oreos are completely awesome.

Of course, he thought she was completely awesome. She was pretty darn cute, wasn’t she?

Must be all the family reunions making me feel nostalgic. Sorry. Back to the recipe now.

Chop the sandwich cookies and mix into mixture. If you notice the picture is blurry it’s just the sugar rush affecting my ability to hold the camera still.

Spread half the filling over the brownies in bowl. This is the part where it starts to get really yummy.

Repeat with the remaining brownies.

And top with the rest of the filling mix and whipped topping. Use a cheese grater to coarsely grate chocolate over the top, or use a vegetable peeler to make chocolate curls from cold chocolate. I just garnished with some extra cookies this time

Cover and chill for 2-4 hours before serving.

Here is the recipe again, without pictures.

Tiramisu Brownie Trifle

10-12 Servings

1 package (19-21ounces) Brownie Mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like Brownies)
1 C Milk
1/4 C Instant coffee granules
1- 12 ounce container of Frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
2 packages (3.4 ounce) Cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling
20 Chocolate creme-filled sandwich cookies, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
1/4 C Grated or shaved semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies.  Let brownies cool completely on a wire rack.  When cool, cut brownies into 1 inch squares.  Place half of the brownies in the bottom of a 3 quart bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine milk and instant coffee granules; stir until dissolved.  Add half of the whipped topping and pudding mix; whisk until smooth.  Add chopped sandwich cookies into mixture.  Spread half the filling over the brownies in bowl.

Repeat with the remaining brownies, topping with the rest of the filling mix and whipped topping.  Use a cheese grater to coarsely grate chocolate over the top, or use a vegetable peeler to make chocolate curls from cold chocolate.  Sprinkle cinnamon over the top.

Cover and chill for 2-4 hours before serving.

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• Sweets for your Sweet
• Purple Haze: Double Coffee Tiramisu
• I quit
• Back to it
• Snackies Alert! Mother Lode Pretzels: This You Gotta See

Tagged as: brownies, chocolate recipe, Dessert, dessert recipe, Oreo recipe, pitch-in recipe, Potluck Recipe, trifle recipe