Milky Way Caramel Trifle Recipe

I love caramel. Add it to just about any dessert, and I’m happy. When I went to my friend’s Big Game party last month, the husband brought out a gorgeous trifle in a monster size martini glass, and I was so excited to taste it – until I realized that it was peanut butter and not caramel based. Once Milky Way released their Simply Caramel Bites, I knew I would have to reimagine that trifle to meet my own specifications as the perfect dessert.

Milky Way has always been one of my favorite secret indulgence candy bars. The chocolate and caramel are perfect together, and the nougat is a nice addition. The new Milky Way Simply Caramel has done away with the nougat and just left the heaven of caramel and chocolate. You can imagine my surprise as I’m walking down the aisle at Walmart to see the photo of the beautifully flowing caramel in the new Simply Caramel variety. I might have done a little skipping dance when I finally found them.

Even better? There’s a coupon for these treats. You can receive $0.75 off when you buy (2) 2.83 oz. bags or $3.00 off when you buy (2) 6 oz. bags or larger of either the Milky Way Simply Caramel, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, or Milky Way Bites. Of course, in my house it isn’t safe to keep the larger bags around, but when I can find a great deal on them? Well, then I just have to consider it research for the recipe I’m going to create using them.

Oh, and don’t forget to join the #EatMoreBites Twitter Party with #CollectiveBias on Friday, March 14, from 1:00-2:00 PM EST for a chance to win $550 in Walmart Gift Cards!

As for that recipe? Oh, did it turn out. My husband does dishes duty when I cook (sweet deal for me, right?), and he was just waiting for me to finish each step so he could “clean the bowls” (read: lick out the last of whatever I’d made while waiting for the full dessert to be complete). The caramel is thick and sweet, the pound cake keeps it from being overpoweringly rich, the caramel mousse is decadence personified, and the Milky Way Simply Caramel Bites add a perfect change in texture – and that touch of chocolate the recipe needs.

Milky Way Caramel Trifle

Ingredients:
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c water
2 c heavy whipping cream, divided
2 T butter
20 Milky Way Simply Caramel Bites
1 pound cake

Directions:
Prep your ingredients by placing the pound cake and Milky Way Simply Caramel Bites into your freezer for easy slicing later. Ensure your heavy whipping cream is chilled.

Begin by making the caramel. In a heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Once it has melted, do not stir again to ensure the mixture doesn’t crystallize. Simply watch it boil until it turns a light amber color, periodically brushing down the sides with a pastry brush dipped in water.

Once the caramel has changed color, add the butter and 1/2 cup cream, and stir until it has fully incorporated. It will bubble like mad when you first add it, but that’s to be expected. The caramel may separate at first due to the change in temperature with the butter and cream, but it will quickly come back together. Return it to a boil for another two minutes, then remove from the heat.

Place 1/4 cup of the caramel aside in a separate dish, and pour the remainder into a mixing bowl to cool. Wait for it to come to room temperature (an hour or so) before starting the next step so that you don’t melt the whipped cream of your mousse.

Remove the Milky Way Simply Caramel Bites from the freezer, and using a sharp knife, cut them in half. This will make them easier to eat when in the trifle. Cutting them when they are frozen gives you a cleaner edge to the cut, which looks prettier.

Once the caramel has cooled, place the remaining 1 1/2 c chilled heavy whipping cream into a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. You’ll need to sacrifice about a quarter of your whipped cream into your caramel to get the caramel light enough to accept the rest of the whipped cream. Go ahead and add the small amount of whipped cream to your caramel, and slowly stir it until the caramel has lightened in texture.

Set aside a half cup of whipped cream for topping your trifles when you serve them. Add the remaining whipped cream, and gently fold it together just until the white streaks are gone. This will create your light and airy caramel mousse.

For a pretty presentation of your caramel, make it in small mason jars. Slice your pound cake into one inch thick slices (12 slices). Place the top of your jar on a slice and twist down to cut out the perfect size circle for your jar. You will need two circles for each jar.

Place one circle of pound cake in the bottom of your jar to form the base. Spoon a small amount of the caramel over the pound cake, ensuring that it is drizzled against the side of the jar so that it is clearly visible when the trifle is fully assembled.

Add a scoop of the caramel mousse to the jar and tap the bottom to ensure that any air pockets dissipate. Add 5 or so of the Milky Way Simply Caramel Bites halves to the jar.

Top with a second round of pound cake and repeat the layers until you reach the top of the mason jar. Cover, and place this into your fridge for at least three hours and up to overnight. Once it has chilled and you are ready to serve, add a dollop of whipped cream and some Milky Way Simply Caramel Bites to the top of that. Serve immediately.

This will keep in the fridge for just a day or two. It’s a great make ahead dessert for a party, but make it the day before and not earlier.

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