Try This Brownie & Berry Trifle Recipe for Valentine’s Day

When it comes to special occasions, we like to pull out all the stops with impressive food—but ideally, we also limit our time in the kitchen so we can actually enjoy the celebration. That’s why we love Devin Connell, the genius behind Crumb and author of Conveniently Delicious. Behind each of her mouth-watering recipes is the philosophy that food should be joyful to eat, and to make.

For Valentine’s Day, we asked Devin to dream up a decadent dessert, and she seriously delivered with this easy and delicious trifle recipe. “This dessert is so simple to make but so impressive to serve,” she says. “I almost hesitate to call it a recipe, because it's really just about assembling store-bought products.”

But that simplicity doesn’t mean it won’t make a statement. “I love large format desserts that are impressive to put on a table—they are such a novelty,” says Devin. And of course, serving it alongside Champagne (and on our Colorblock plates) never hurts.

Brownie & Berry Trifle Recipe

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 3 bags of two-bite brownies
• 1 litre whipping cream (35%)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 boxes each of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries
• 3/4 cup crushed unsalted pistachios (almonds are a good substitute)
• 4 ripe figs, quartered
• 3-4 chocolate cookies, crumbled (could be shortbread, or chocolate chip if that’s what you have on hand)

 Directions

1. Cut each two-bite brownie in half and set aside. 
2. Wash and dry the berries. Cut the strawberries in quarters. 
3. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with a handheld beater), whisk the cold cream on medium until it starts to slightly thicken. Tap in the sugar bit by bit and increase the speed to high. Add the vanilla and whisk until it’s thick and holds a soft peak. 
4. In a large glass trifle dish, place a layer of brownies in the bottom making sure they are close together around the circumference of the dish. You’ll want to pay attention to how you layer the ingredients along the glass so they are visible. Top the brownies with a scattering of mixed berries (again, place them more carefully around the outside of the glass) and a handful of crushed pistachios. 
5. Repeat this layering two more times. When you get to the top, you want to create a beautiful messy pile of the remaining ingredients, and wedge in the figs. The cookie crumble can be the last addition that you scatter on top.
6. Serve right away, as the whipped cream begins to soften almost immediately.