Frozen Mocha Brownie Torte

So what did you think of the Peanut Butter Party? A few people suggested having a weekly party with different themes and I’m considering it. Let me know if that is something you’d like to see!

This past weekend was the first weekend all summer we didn’t travel anywhere. Matt and I just recently started house hunting* and needed a full Saturday to explore some new areas and get a better understanding of our options. It is scary and exciting at the same time. I can’t help but get enthusiastic when we see places that have more than double the square footage of our current home, a gorgeous kitchen and lots of natural light. The thing is, it’s kind of like registering for wedding gifts. A few days after we registered, Matt went looking in the kitchen for our new knives. I had to remind them that we wouldn’t have them until someone bought them for us. That hope for instant gratification gives the process some extra emotional ups and downs. I know we need to take our time and closing on a home isn’t a 24-hour event.

*By house hunting I mean 2-bedroom apartment hunting. Hey, one can dream:-)

Luckily, when it comes to dessert, there is instant satisfaction. After the long day in the real estate jungle, all I wanted was some summer comfort food. I try to steer clear of stress eating, but sometimes you just need a carton of ice cream some chocolate.  That night, I was happy to find some of this Frozen Mocha Brownie Torte still in my freezer.

I created this dessert because I wanted something chocolaty and decadent but still light enough to enjoy during summer.  The coffee I used was a sample from Godiva that I received through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program.  (I was actually pretty excited about this because I’ve been drinking their new Chocolate Truffle flavor in iced coffee form every morning.  If you like coffee and you like chocolate, it is a winner!)  The fudgy layer of brownie is topped with a mocha mousse filling, a layer of chopped Oreos and whipped topping.  You can make it really decadent with regular brownies or keep things light with something like No Pudge.

Disclaimer: I received free coffee samples from Godiva, but the opinions I expressed are all my own.

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Frozen Mocha Brownie Torte

Yield: Serves 12

Ingredients

• 1 brownie mix with ingredients listed on box
• 1 3.4 ounce container instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup strong brewed Godiva Chocolate Truffle coffee
• 1 8-ounce container of cool whip, separated
• 14 Oreos broken into pieces

Cooking Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a spring-form pan with non-stick cooking spray
2. Prepare brownie mix as directed and bake in spring-form pan
3. While brownie is cooling, prepare mousse layer; whisk together pudding mix, milk and coffee until well combined (about 2 minutes)
4. Fold 1/2 cup cool whip into pudding mixture; spread over brownie
5. Spread Oreo pieces evenly over mousse filling
6. Spread remainder of cool whip over Oreos
7. Freeze dessert for two hours or until filling is firm
8. Will stay good in freezer for up to a week

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Have you bought a home?  Any advice for someone looking?