When a torte goes awry

Earlier this year, I came across a great recipe for a brownie torte.  The original recipe that the torte is based on is a Betty Crocker recipe.  It can be adapted for brownies made from scratch or your preferred box mix.  When I'm in a rush, I use Duncan Hines' new Decadent Triple Chocolate Brownie mix.  If making a recipe from scratch, I suggest that you also add chocolate chips or chunks for texture.

The steps are pretty easy:

1. Using whatever brownie mix you prefer, bake a 9 x 13 pan of brownies according to the recipe directions.

2. Cut the sheet of brownies into three equal sheets of brownies.

3. Place one layer on the cake sheet/serving tray.  Using homemade or store bought icing, microwave the icing for 20 seconds and stir.  Apply just under 1/3 of the icing to the first layer of brownie.

4. Repeat by adding the second layer of brownie and 1/3 of the icing.

5. Finish by adding the third layer of brownie and apply the remaining icing.  Smooth the icing over the whole torte and allow the icing to set and solidify.

I have made this for a few parties and every time the reaction is amazing.

Last night my Dad held his annual hallowe'en party.  I decided to make the torte again.  Because I didn't have a lot of time after work, admittedly I rushed the process a little bit and tried to start layering the torte before the brownies had cooled enough.  The top layer cracked apart into four pieces when I was placing it on top of the torte.  Since it was for a hallowe'en party, I decided to work with it, and made a decrepit tombstone dedicated to B. Rownie.

I also made a few Oreo cookie balls.  So easy!!!  Using a package of Oreo, create crumbs using the food processor.  I used half a package of cookies, to which I added half a package of cream cheese and mixed this.  Create bite sized balls and freeze them for at least 1/2 hour.  Melt four chocolate squares (I used semi-sweet but dark chocolate also works really well), with 1 teaspoon of butter.  Take the balls out of the freezer and use forks to roll the balls and coat them in the chocolate.  Place the balls back in the freezer for 1/2 hour.  For the party I finished them off with white icing piped "RIPs", and placed them on green icing intended to look like grass and moss.

The final product was much cuter than I thought it was going to be when the brownie first went awry (but definitely not my finest work):

Once again the reaction was overwhelming, the torte is to die for.  (Insert groan here.)