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MUST be that time again......time for chocolate. Nice for fall.
A stunning dessert--brownie layers teeming with lovely mousse.

BROWNIE TORTE/ PISTACHIO MOUSSE FILLING

PREP Lightly spray 2-8" round cake pan bottoms. Line w/ parchment; lightly spray paper.

TORTE Spoon/stir 50 strokes 19.5 oz pkg Pillsbury® Traditional Fudge Brownie mix, 1/2 c Canola Oil, 1/4 c water, 3 eggs. Spread half evenly in each pan. Bake 27-30 min--pick 2" from edge comes clean. Cool in pans on racks 10 min. Run knife at edges to loosen. Invert on rack; remove parchment. Fridge racks w/layers to cool completely 20 min. Carefully halve w/ long serrated knife (make 4 layers).

MOUSSE Hold tb pudding mix for garnish. Elec/mix on high 2 min 4-serve instant pistachio pudding powder, 3/4 cup cold whole milk, cup cold h/cream thick and creamy. Stir in 1/2 c coarse-chp pistachios. Cover/frige.

ASSEMBLY Layer on server brownie layer, cut side down, 1/3 mousse spread evenly to edge. Repeat layering. Top w/ 4th brownie layer, cut side down; frige while making glaze.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE heat/stir 1/2 c h/cream on med, bubbles start to form at edge. Offheat add 4 oz fine-chp semi/chocolate; stir smooth. Stir in tsp ea vanilla/corn syrup; let stand 10 min. Stir; spoon over top of torte, let drips run down side.

FINAL Fridge while making garnish. Pipe rosettes w/ star tip on top. Chill 30 min before serving.

ROSETTES GARNISH beat 1/2 cup h/cream, 2 tbl conf, tb pudding mix on high to stiff peaks

For years, I thought I just didn’t like the taste of alcohol. I could stand a half a shot of amaretto (or other flavorful liquor) if it was mixed in a large milkshake. But wine by itself? Always tasted like moldy fruit juice to me.

This past February, there were two occasions where I tasted a wine I actually liked. One was brewed by my grandfather, and the other came from a local winery. The winery doesn’t share secrets, but my grandfather did. By comparing his method with the standard recommended procedure, I hypothesized that it was the additives used to control fermentation that really caused that moldy taste, not the alcohol itself.

I wanted to test this with a fruit that I had in abundance, but that wouldn’t be a loss if it didn’t turn out. So I took a half-gallon of squash that had been in the freezer since 2014. It was a very sweet squash, so much so that I could make pies without any added sugar with it. I did add extra sugar for the wine.

It’s not quite ready to bottle yet, but when I sampled it there was no trace of that weird moldy flavor. On the other hand, my dad made watermelon wine at about the same time, using all the recommended additives, and his definitely has that weird flavor.

I think I might be on to something! Now if only I had room for more bottles :)