Death by Chocolate
It’s absolutely worth it …
Death by Chocolate!
Yes, I enjoy love am addicted to chocolate, and the darker the better. If you think that this is a simple straight forward chocolate upon chocolate recipe, then no … no no no.
Think of the darkest, most decadent chocolate that has been slapped around a bit by the heat of black pepper and the crazy yummy factor of candied bacon, and that’s this recipe of my twisted Death by Chocolate trifle. Oh so yum!
The kicker in this decadent dessert if the warmth of the black pepper added to the bodacious, dark chocolate brownies and also in the candied bacon. After I made a batch of these brownies, my kids appeared out of seemingly nowhere. I let them try a bit and mentioned nothing of what I had added. Later after rave reviews from my little people, I told them what I had added to that batch and with surprise their eyes popped out. They loved them!
Something tells me that I’m only allowed to have this dessert once in a blue moon, but nah … I’m not listening right now. Although this does come with a sort of disclaimer in the title of the recipe. My thoughts ~ indulge responsibly and enjoy.
Just remember to share and take it easy, because chocolate hangovers do exist!
Death by Chocolate
Decadent Death by Chocolate with a hint of black pepper and candied bacon. A gorgeous trifle dessert for any special occasion.
Ingredients
For the Brownies:
- 1 (19.9 oz) box Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix (I like to use Betty Crocker)
- 1 tsp Black Pepper, ground
- 1/4 tsp Salt
For the Candied Bacon:
- 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Black Pepper, ground
- 2 Tbls Maple Syrup
- 8 - 10 slices thick cut Smokey Bacon
Other Ingredients:
- 1(3.1 oz) box Instant Chocolate Mousse, prepared according to directions (I use Dr. Oetkers Milk Chocolate, usually found in the pudding mix section)
- 2 (1.45 oz) bars of Dark Chocolate, broken into bite-sized chunks (I used Hershey's Special Dark this time)
- Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce (and again - I used Hershey's Special Dark...this time)
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup Bits of English Toffee (I used Heath Bits of Brickle Toffee usually found in the baking section)
- Whipped Topping, to garnish
Instructions
For the Brownies:
- Preheat oven to appropriate degrees for Brownie Mix. Prepare baking pan according to directions.
- In a medium bowl, add the required ingredients for the brownies, PLUS add in the Black Pepper and Salt, mixing well.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake according to directions. Remove and cool.
For the Candied Bacon:
- In a small bowl, mix together the Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup and Black Pepper until you have a paste like rub.
- On a jelly roll type baking sheet, line it with a silicone mat (preferred) or a double layer of foil and if you have a cooling rack place on top of baking sheet. Lay your strips of bacon out and cover the bacon with the rub (top side only is sufficient), transfer bacon onto cooling rack.
- Once brownies are done, adjust oven temperature to 400°F. Bake the bacon for 20 - 25 minute or until candied and caramel colored. *Note: you are caramelizing bacon, please use caution and don't cook until bacon is "crispy" like usual or you will burn the sugars. Bacon will firm up when cooled*
- Remove and cool.
For the Mousse:
- Prepare the Mousse according to directions, or use your favorite pre-made. Set aside.
To assemble the Trifle:
- In a straight sided tall bowl or trifle dish, start to layer with chunks of Brownies, Hot Fudge Sauce (does not have to cover completely), chunks of Chocolate pieces, Toffee bits, and Mousse.
- Repeat layering 1 - 2 more times with the last layer adding broken/torn pieces of Candied Bacon, a scattering of Toffee bits, a generous dollop of Whipped Topping and garnish with Candied Bacon on top.
- Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Notes
Note: For the Candied Bacon, this is caramelizing bacon, please use caution and don't cook until bacon is "crispy" like usual or you will burn the sugars. Bacon will firm up when cooled.Brownies and Candied Bacon can be made the day ahead if needed.You can double the recipe if needed for larger trifles, this recipe makes approximately enough for an 8" x 5" dish.
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Stacey is a Southern girl with a taste for travel, thriving on the discovery of the world through food. After spending many years traveling and living overseas, she’s now back home in her beloved deep south enjoying life with her three little ones and loving the adventure. She’s a food stylist and food photographer, as well as, the creative behind Little Figgy Food, where she loves to inspire others to try new flavors and foodie techniques.
Death by chocolate was the ice cream flavor I used to get at the beach. This looks great too.
Thank you! That ice cream sounds amazing, would have enjoyed trying it.
This was my favorite dessert growing up! We just used heath bars or reese, but no candied bacon. I like the idea of the candied bacon though!
Hi Hayley! I grew up with this dessert too and a must for the ingredients was the Heath bars…but I love dark chocolate so much and Heath bars have made life a little easier so I don’t have to involve a hammer in crushing them anymore 😉 The candied bacon is the “cocktail party” of the dessert, love it!