Maggie Monday: A “Mouse” in the Dessert

I could never be the next Iron Chef. If I were on the competition I might be able to get enough points on taste and originality, but when it comes to presentation, I lack. A lot. A whole lot. Lucky for me there are chefs like Maggie who do all three very well. Take a look at her mice below…

We were invited to dinner at a friend’s home and I offered to bring dessert. They too, have a lot of kids, so I wanted to bring something that would feed a lot of people, be kid friendly, and somewhat easy to make. I had never made a trifle before, but decided this was an opportunity to give it a shot. I even sent my husband out to buy a trifle dish, and he did so with success. My husband is not a cook, so this was quite an accomplishment. He scored! 

So, as I was pulling this plan together, I was browsing on Pinterest and saw a photo of little mice made out of Hershey Kisses, chocolate covered maraschino cherries, and sliced almonds. They were so dang cute that I had to incorporate them into the Trifle. Hence- Chocolate “Mouse” Trifle.

This was super easy, and very fun to make. It was a huge hit, and I will make it again.  The kids couldn’t wait to dig in. Mmmmmm!

Chocolate Mouse Trifle

What you need:

1 box chocolate cake mix
2boxes prepared chocolate mousse instant pudding
1 package of Heath Bar bits (where you find Chocolate Chips in the baking aisle)
4 cups fresh whipped cream

Sliced strawberries (optional)

Mice:

Hershey Kisses

1 jar maraschino cherries with stems attached

½ cup chocolate chips

1 small package of slice almonds

What you do:

Bake cake according to directions on box in a 13 x 9 inch pan. When cooled, cut into bite size pieces. Prepare the chocolate mousse according to directions on box. Mix up your whipped cream, or buy prepared whipped cream or topping. Thinly slice strawberries if you are choosing to include fruit. Beginning with mousse, layer all ingredients in trifle bowl. Finish with the whipped cream, then sprinkle with Heath Bar bits and arrange chocolate mice on top. To make mice, remove cherries from jar and gently dab dry them with a paper towel. Unwrap the kisses, and pick out unbroken sliced almonds. Melt the chocolate chips in microwave.

Dip the cherries in the melted chocolate, and immediately attach a kiss to the cherry to form the mouse head. Slip in two sliced almonds for ears,  and repeat until you have all the mice you want. Refrigerate until serving. Serves: 8 to 12 people.