Triple Chocolate Peppermint Trifle

It seems we're suffering from the post holiday nothing-to-write-about blahs, so I thought I'd share this recipe. This was the dessert for our Christmas day meal. It was described as "divine" by Jeff's sister, Leslie. It fills a large trifle bowl and is quite rich, so save it for a large group occasion.

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Trifle
1 9 x 13 brownie mix, prepared as directed (I actually made one from scratach and that worked, too)
Hershey's syrup
Mousse:
2-1/2 cups whipping cream
12 oz pkg white chocolate
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peppermint candy or candy canes
To make mousse, heat 1 cup cream for about 1 minute, until just before boiling. Remove from the microwave and stir in white chocolate. Let cool, stir occasionally. Beat remaining 1-1/2 cups cream to stiff peaks. Fold into white chocolate mixture, then fold in candy.
Pudding: Prepare 1 large cook and serve chocolate pudding; prepared but warm
To assemble
Layer 1/3 of mousse in a trifle bowl. Top with crumbled brownie, pudding and a drizzle of Hershey's syrup. Repeat layers two more times. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours. To finish, whip an additional 1-1/2 cups cream with 2-4 Tbsp powdered sugar. Spread over top of trifle and garnish with crushed candy.