Peppermint Trifle with Crushed JOY Cone Layers

It’s time to hang up your light jacket, bid farewell to fall foliage, and trade in pumpkin spice for winter parkas, fuzzy socks, and holiday carols buzzing over the airwaves of your favorite department store.

Since we love desserts, the change in seasons activates fond memories and familiar flavor combinations we grew up identifying the holidays with. Holiday cookies and pies come to mind, but, lately, we’re on a white chocolate peppermint kick.

What better way to incorporate peppermint into a dessert than a creamy trifle. A trifle, by definition, is a European dessert layered with fruit, sponge cake, and custard. Some recipes omit the cake and fruit, opting instead for pudding, jelly, or another cream-based substitute.

Because of the fruit and its bright colors, it’s easy to associate trifles with summertime, but the holidays are a perfect excuse to layer up seasonal flavors that pair well with evenings by the fire.

Traditional trifles are labors of love. Many recipes call for a mousse or custard, which require heating, stirring, and chilling — all things you may not have time for before your friends and family come over.

Well, we created something different for you without sacrificing those quintessential layers that make for an ideal presentation. Instead of piling goodies in a trifle bowl, we opted for small, clear glasses ideal for sharing with a crowd. This way, each guest can receive their own personal trifle.

As for the structural component of the layers, we used a variety of JOY Cones to provide a strong textural base. You’ll want to make these desserts right before serving to ensure the cones stay crisp.

Why the variety? The JOY Sugar Cones and JOY Waffle Cones provide a distinct sweetness, while the JOY Cake Cups add a softer texture to contrast the crunchier bits and pieces. Layer them to your liking and enjoy!

Prep time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4-6

What You’ll Need:

• 2 JOY Sugar Cones
• 2 JOY Waffle Cones
• 2 JOY Cake Cups
• 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• ¼ cup butter (softened)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 8 ounces whipped topping
• 1 box white chocolate pudding
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 drop pink food coloring
• Crushed peppermint candy canes
• Peppermint crunch baking chips (typically found in the baking aisle near regular chocolate chips during the holidays), peppermint bark, or your favorite crushed peppermint/chocolate candies

What To Do:

1. Place each type of cone in separate zip-top bags and crush the cones into 1-inch pieces by hand. In a separate zip-top bag, crush 5 or 6 unwrapped peppermint candy canes into pea-sized pieces by applying pressure with a sturdy household item like a rolling pin or hammer.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with a whisk or hand-held electric mixer until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Fold in the powdered sugar and whipped topping with a spatula until light and airy, about 1 minute. Set aside.
3. Using a whisk or hand-held electric mixer, mix the pudding, milk, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and pink food coloring (you can add more drops for a darker hue) until the mixture thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Gently fold the pudding in with the cream cheese mixture and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
5. Right before serving (this step is important to ensure the cone pieces stay crisp), fill small clear glasses by alternating layers of cone pieces with the peppermint cream mixture. Repeat until you finish with a layer of the peppermint cream. Top with crushed candy canes and a handful of peppermint baking chips and serve immediately.

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