Chocolate and Berry Trifle Cups

For the brownies: In a large bowl, sift together the first 6 ingredients. Add the coffee, buttermilk, eggs, oil and vanilla and mix until just combined. Transfer the batter to a parchment-lined baking pan (I did not do this, as evidenced by the above picture). Bake at 325?F for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool and then cut the cake into 2-inch pieces.

For the chocolate pudding: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk and cream (if using). Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Boil until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes — it will get thick very quickly. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla quickly. Continue whisking until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and chill, placing a piece of plastic wrap directly on the pudding to prevent a skin from forming (unless you like pudding skin, then just wrap the bowl itself). Chill until cold, at least 2 hours.