Berries'n'cream Chocolate Chip Trifle

Oh, berries, berries....

I know that trifles are traditionally a Christmastime dessert, but since berry trifles are so deliciously good (I mean, the combination of berries and cream... right? right?), I associate the dessert much more with the summertime.  Also, the red and blue vibrant colors against the white--of course I couldn't resist a little berries'n'cream chocolate chip trifle to celebrate July 4th.

There's something about growing up in the U.S. that really imprints a love of Americana on you.  I'm sure everyone's associations of Americana must be subtly different, but at the core, I like to hope that there are certain details and little affinities that we all share in our definitions of Americana.  Like chocolate chip cookies (and road trips).  For some reason, these cookies just seem terribly American to me, so here they are, in this trifle (instead of sponge cake, which is arguably not in my definition of Americana).  So happy, Happy Birthday, oh amber-waved and purple-mountained country, you.

Read on for recipe....

Berries'n'cream Chocolate Chip Trifle

1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 tspn coarse salt
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup AP flour
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup mascarpone
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tspn vanilla extract
blueberries
raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cookie sheets, unlined and not greased.
2. In a light-colored saucepan, melt the butter. Cook on medium heat until the solids drop to the bottom and just begin to brown and the butter smells nutty. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in the brown sugar until combined, followed by the salt and vanilla extract.
4. Stir in the egg until thoroughly combined.
5. Stir in the flour until thoroughly combined. Let cool to room temperature.
6. Once cooled, stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Spoon the dough onto the cookie sheets in their desired size, making sure to leave a good amount of space between each cookie.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, until almost crispy. (You want to bake them until they're a bit crispier than usual.) Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.
9. In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream and the mascarpone. Whip with a balloon whisk until soft peaks. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue to whip until medium stiff peaks.
10. Break the cookies into large pieces. Layer the cookies, whipped cream, blueberries, and raspberries as desired in the trifle glass. Refrigerate if not eating immediately.

Enjoy!