Recipes: Easy English Trifle

Trifle has been around for centuries and is a classic English dessert. It consists of layers of cake, usually soaked with alcohol such as sherry (you may also use fruit juice for the family-friendly version), fruit, custard and cream. There are many variations, but here is our family’s passed down to me by my own English mum. It would make an easy spring-time dessert when you don’t feel like turning on the oven. It would also make a beautiful addition to your Easter buffet.

We’ve always used ladyfingers for the cake component (the soft ones found in the bakery aisle – not the dry ones for tiramisu, but I’m sure these would work just fine if you used a liquid to soften them.) Feel free to substitute pound cake or sponge cake.

Similarly, if you feel like channeling Martha and making homemade custard, go for it! Short on time and don’t want to turn on the burner for the stove-top vanilla pudding? Use premade – no judgment here! I’m telling you this recipe is very accommodating. Same goes for the fruit – use your favorites, fresh or frozen. This is definitely a recipe with which you can play around and get creative. Chocolate lover? Try chocolate pound cake, perhaps with a drizzle of Chambord, raspberries, chocolate pudding and whipped cream. Layered in a glass bowl, it is definitely a dessert that tastes as good as it looks.

English Trifle (serves about 8-10)

2 large (5.1 ounce) boxes Jell-O vanilla pudding (the cook and serve kind)

6 cups of milk (I used 2 percent)

3 cups heavy cream – whipped with some sugar to sweeten (I used about 2 heaping tablespoons.)

3 packages lady fingers (found in the bakery department) or 2 large pound cakes, cut into 1/3 inch slices)

seedless strawberry or raspberry jam (I prefer organic Santa Cruz brand)

1 package frozen peaches (about 3 fresh)

1 package frozen raspberries (or roughly 12 ounces fresh)

1 package frozen strawberries, sliced (or roughly two pints fresh)

sliced almonds and fresh berries for garnish

 Directions:

1. Before you begin, take fruit out of freezer and allow to defrost in a colander over a bowl to save the juices.

2. Make the two boxes of pudding on the stove according to the directions. Set in a bowl in the fridge to cool with plastic wrap layered over the top of the pudding so it does not form a skin. Do not use warm pudding when assembling.

3. Whip the cream and sugar with an electric mixer until firm.

4. Split ladyfingers in half and spread with some of the jam. Put back together. (Or if you are using pound cake, spread jam between thin slices of pound cake and sandwich together).

5. Make one layer of lady fingers (using about 1/3 of them) on the bottom of a medium-size trifle bowl. Drizzle with a little of the juice (you can sweeten with a little sugar if too sour). Or, you may drizzle with some sherry.

6. Layer on 1/3 of the fruit. Top with 1/3 of the pudding and then 1/3 of the whipped cream. Repeat layers two more times ending with the whipped cream.

7. Chill for at least 8 hours or overnight. Before serving, top with toasted almonds and fresh fruit.