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Flower Pot Brownies with Rich Chocolate Mousse

To view the assembly instructions, check out http://cookingventures.blogspot.com

The Soil
1-19.9 oz Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix,
prepared as noted below with water, eggs, and oil

The Clay
1/2 cup milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk, refrigerated
1-3.9 oz box of instant chocolate pudding mix
1-8 oz container of whipped topping

The Sedimentary Layer

1 cup English walnut pieces

The Topsoil
About 15 Oreo cookies, pulverized to look like top soil

Flower Materials
2 (4.5") glazed flower pots, cleaned and dried
2 straws (preferably with big holes)
Flowers of your choice such as daises, asters,
chrysanthemums, carnations, orchids, etc

Prepare the Soil

Instead of using a 9x13" baking dish, use a 9 x 9" pan to produce a thicker brownie than normal. Spray
the pan liberally with cooking spray. Prepare the fudge brownies per the instructions on the box. Pour
the batter into the prepared pan and adjust the baking time and temperature as listed on the box to
compensate for the smaller pan. It is very important not to over bake the brownies. Allow the brownies
to cool in the pan for 1 hour before filling the pots.

Prepare the Topsoil

Add the Oreos to a resealable bag and use a rolling pin to break up the cookies into small crumbs that
resemble potting soil. Leave the bag sealed until the cookies are needed.

Prepare the Clay

Make the chocolate mousse by whisking together the milk, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate
pudding mix. Using a spatula, fold the whipped topping into the chocolate mixture until all of the white
streaks are gone.
Assemble the Flower Pots
Cut two 3" circles of parchment and place one in the bottom of each pot (to cover the water holes). Use
a spatula to loosen the brownies from the pan and dump the brownies onto a plate. No need to be
gentle because you are going to be tearing the brownies into pieces in a minute anyway.

Pinch off pieces of brownies in small "clods of dirt" and add the clods to the bottoms of the pots – about
1" deep. Slightly pack the clods into the bottoms. Place the straws upright in the center of the pots.
Sprinkle a few walnuts on top of the clods. Next, add a layer of the clay (chocolate mousse) to each pot.
Add another layer of brownie clods, more walnuts, and then another layer of mousse. Add a final layer
of brownie clods and lightly pack but do not add additional mousse or walnuts. Snip off the straw about
1/4" above the brownies. At this point, you may enclose the entire pot in plastic wrap (including the
bottom) and refrigerate until needed (maybe up to a day).

When ready to serve, add two to three flowers to each straw – trimming the stems as needed to the
appropriate height. Add a layer of the crushed Oreos to the top – making sure to cover the straw so it
cannot be seen.

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Courtesy of: Vince Altum at http://cookingventures.blogspot.com