Berry Chocolate Trifle

I got my sister a trifle dish for her first bridal shower, mostly because I always had wanted one but didn't have one.  Then my mom brought me a very pretty one that was extra from her kitchen.  I needed to make a trifle immediately.

Trifles are wonderful desserts for a number of reasons.  Firstly, they are beautiful.  Also, they are tasty.  Finally, it is very easy to make them a great deal healthier because the ingredients are available in lower-calorie varieties.

Coincidentally, it is Valentine's Day.  Therefore, the trifle needed to be rich and somehow romantic.  My husband The Engineer deserves nothing but the best for his special dessert on the Day of Love.  If you ask me, nothing says romantic like strawberry, heart-shaped marshmallows ... but we'll save those for the end.

Berry Chocolate Trifle

2 containers Cool Whip Free
2 packages instant sugar-free chocolate pudding (any chocolate variety)
2 cups cold skim milk
1 9 oz. container low-fat sour cream
1/2 an angel food cake
2 small containers raspberries
1 pint strawberries

Colorful fruit are what makes trifles visually appealing. I chose red berries for Valentine's, but you could do any berry or juicy fruit.  First, wash your raspberries.

Next, wash your strawberries and cut the tops off.  Cut half of your strawberries lengthwise, and the other half crosswise.  

lengthwise

Next, make one package of pudding according to package directions using your skim milk.  Place in refrigerator to set.

Combine the contents of your second package of chocolate pudding with the sour cream and one entire carton of Cool Whip Free, which as you know is a miracle ingredient.  This will result in a thick, sticky, mousse-like substance that is absolutely delicious.  It's so good you won't want to make your trifle but instead will want to run to your sofa and gorge yourself.  Or maybe that's just me.

We are now ready to assemble our trifle.  First place a single layer of whole raspberries along the bottom of your trifle dish.  Use all but about half of one container. Tear up your half an angel food cake into pieces about an inch or smaller in diameter. You know, if you are in a hurry you can purchase angel food cakes from just about any grocery store, already baked for you.  Throw all of the pieces into your dish on top of the raspberries.

Now line the strawberries you cut lengthwise around the edge of your trifle bowl as garnish.  If you do this now, your pudding won't cover them, and the outside of your bowl will look nice.  

When you have those strawberries perfectly arranged, pour the pudding you prepared with milk over your angel food.  Place the strawberries you cut crosswise in a single layer over your chocolate pudding.

Here you have a choice to make.  You either can use a spatula to spread your other container of Cool Whip Free over the strawberries, or you can place the mousse-y stuff next.  I chose to do the Cool Whip first because I wanted white between the two brown layers, but the mousse-y stuff also is difficult to spread, and it can be more difficult to make smooth for your top layer.

So once you spread those two layers on top of one another, go to your raspberry reserves.  You can do any sort of pretty decorative pattern you like.  I believe it usually looks nice to go around the outside and then do something in the middle, but a food artist I am not.  To be festive, I used some of the heart-shaped marshmallows my mom got Ruby to add a little love to the whole thing.

The results of this impromptu, gorgeous, low-calorie (but not low-calorie-tasting) dessert made a great way to celebrate L-O-V-E, which is what I feel today for an Engineer and two little baby girls.