Chocolate Orange Sticks Cream Brownie Trifle

My husband loves chocolate orange sticks, so I thought of making cupcakes but he really likes brownies, so the idea of making orange and chocolate brownies with a creamy orange frosting made the perfect choice and my girls say that these trifles taste just like the chocolate orange sticks. I hope you like them; they’re yummy and rich in flavor.

Chocolate Orange Sticks Cream Brownie Trifle

Orange Brownies

*1 1/2 cups Sugar
*1/2 cup Butter, Melted
*3 Eggs, room temperature
*1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
*1 teaspoon Orange Extract
*1 teaspoon Fresh Orange Zest
*Orange Food Coloring or 6 drops of yellow, 4 drops of red
*14 teaspoon Salt
*1 cup Flour
*3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

In a mixing bowl, cream together with wooden spoon the melted butter, sugar and adding; eggs, orange extract, orange zest, vanilla and food coloring. Mix until combined well and do not beat or whip.

Whisk together in a mixing bowl the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder and salt.

Combine the creamed mixture with the dry ingredients and mix with wooden spoon just until smooth.

Pour orange brownie mixture onto 1/2 of the 1/2 baking sheet (lined with parchment paper and sprayed with a cooking spray for easy removal) smoothing out batter on 1/2 of the parchment covered 1/2 baking sheet.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

*1 1/2 cups Sugar
*1/2 cup Special Dark Hershey’s Cocoa Powder
*1/2 cup Butter, Melted
*3 Eggs, room temperature
*1 teaspoon Vanilla
*1/4 teaspoon Salt
*1 cup Flour
*3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

In a mixing bowl mix together the cocoa powder and sugar, then cream together with wooden spoon and add melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined well and do not beat or whip.

Whisk together in a mixing bowl the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder and salt.

Combine the creamed mixture with the dry ingredients and mix with wooden spoon just until smooth.

Pour brownie batter on the opposite side from the orange brownie batter onto 1/2 of the 1/2 baking sheet (lined with parchment paper and sprayed with a cooking spray for easy removal) smoothing out batter onto 1/2 of the parchment covered 1/2 baking sheet.

Bake brownies in a pre-heated 350* F. oven for 25 minutes or until done.

Remove brownies from oven and allow cooling, cut off the edges of brownies and then cut brownies into small squares.

Orange Cream Frosting

*1/2 cup Butter, room temperature
*4 ounces Cream Cheese, room temperature
*3 tablespoons Whipping Cream
*1/2 teaspoon Fresh Orange Zest
*1 teaspoon Orange Extract
*1/2 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract
*2 teaspoons Tropical Gelatin or Orange flavored
*pinch of salt
*3 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
**1/2-1 cup Cool Whip Topping, add to frosting just before serving

Cream together the above ingredients except for the powdered sugar. After creaming add powdered sugar in small amounts, mix until smooth. Adding cool whip to frosting just before serving.

Toppings: Chocolate Orange Sticks and/or Candied Orange Peels

Layering Trifle

First add brownie squares to bottom of small glass containers or you can use 1 large one, then pipe on the orange cream frosting/topping and repeat as many layers as desired. Top with Candied Orange Peels and/or Chocolate Orange sticks, optional.

Note: I used 8 ounce glass jars (10) but these are really sweet, so I think 4 ounce or smaller cups would be just the right size for an individual dessert treat.

Candied Orange Peels, optional, for decorating

*2 medium to large Oranges, rinsed
*3/4 cup Water
*2 cups Sugar
*Granulated Sugar for coating, if desired
*Good dipping Chocolate or Chocolate Almond Bark would work too, optional, for dipping Orange peels.

Prepare the oranges by cutting off the ends of the orange and cut into strips/triangles or desired shape. Remove the orange segments and some of the pith if desired. Rinse off orange peels. Take 4 small sauces pans of water and bring them all to a boil on medium heat and blanch the orange peels 4 times for one minute, rinsing with cool water after each blanching. (Using a fresh pot of boiling water each time you blanch.)

After blanching orange peels, in a sauce pan on medium heat, add the sugar and water and bring to a boil and simmer until liquid is clear. Now add the orange peels and simmer for 1 hour or until the pith of rinds becomes translucent. (Make sure sugar doesn’t turn brown or caramelize.)

Remove orange peels from liquid and allow to dry on a cooling rack with small holes. If you want to dip the Orange peels in chocolate allow peels to dry over night or until dry enough to dip, dip in melted chocolate of your choice. Allow to dry completely. (Use candied orange peels as a topping/decoration on the trifle, cupcakes or eat and enjoy!)

Brownies