Monday 1 July 2013

Trifle

I have had several requests for the recipe for the trifle I spoke about - so I am putting on the recipe today.   Trifle is a traditional old English sweet
 which in the English version never, never, never has the addition of jelly.  It should also never be served up to anyone who is counting the calories - you will see why when you read the recipe.   I am sorry if it is a case of teaching my grandmother to suck eggs as I am sure lots of readers will have their own recipe, but it does seem to be a rarity in the US - so here it is.   John (Going Gently) don't even cast your eyes over the recipe.   Please note that any fruit can be substituted for the strawberries I used.

Ingredients:   Trifle sponges, or any sponge cake (or even a swiss roll); Jam - in this case, strawberry jam; custard, amaretti biscuits; sherry (generous); double (or whipping) cream; strawberries.

Cut the trifle sponges in half, spread with strawberry jam and then sandwich them together again and cut in half vertically to make smallish squares.   Arrange them in the bottom of a pretty dish, preferably a glass one so that you can see the layers; pour over a generous amount of good quality sherry.   Cover the dish with cling film and leave overnight in the fridge.

When you are ready to assemble - cover the cake with a layer of strawberries and if they are not terribly sweet sprinkle with a small amount of caster sugar; then cover with one pint of made custard - either 'proper' custard made with eggs and milk and sugar or custard made with custard powder;  leave it to cool - if you put cling film over again it will discourage a skin forming.   Once it is cool cover with a layer of amaretti biscuits (those little circular ones) and finally with a thick layer of whipped up cream.   Put strawberries on the top to decorate.

At this stage, providing I intend to eat it within a few hours, I don't put it back in the fridge as it is best and tastiest eaten at room temperature.

We don't have it very often because it really is unhealthy eating, but now and again as a little treat is fine.   After our friends had gone I divided what was left with my son who came round eagerly with a trifle bowl.  I somehow have to stop the farmer eating it all.

18 comments:

Mac n' Janet said...

Oh my, that sounds rich and tasty.

angryparsnip said...

I was on who asked to see your trifle and am very happy to have you recipe.
Even though I am one of your American followers, I use to make trifle for special occasions. No jelly in mine either or the amaretto biscuits which sounds yummy. I am some what lighter with the sherry because I don't drink but I always want a small dish too.
I made a small one for Christmas two years ago. Lovely !

cheers, parsnip

Sharon said...

Hello, nice to 'meet' you. Thank you for the visit!

This looks and sounds delicious, but alas I would end up eating most of it. My buns don't need and help getting wider. :D My DH is often gone and we seldom get company. I try to avoid too many desserts unless we are out somewhere - no leftovers for me to plunder. :D

mrsnesbitt said...

I LOVE sherry and I LOVE trifle but for some strange reason I can not eat sherry trifle. I DO however drink sherry!!!!!and custard ....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Heather said...

I bet it is delicious and the farmer will soon work off all those calories. It is homemade so it can't be too unhealthy!

John Going Gently said...

Noooooooooo
Always Raspberry jam in trifle!

Reader Wil said...

YummY! That sounds good! I remember the trifle I ate with an English friend, which was delicious( I mean the trifle of course ).
You are right, our countries are so close and yet we have different food and recipes. That's what I like about blogging: getting to know each other's habits and traditions.

Bovey Belle said...

That looks and sounds scrummy. My mum used to love sherry trifle.

I have my own (debased!) version which has orange jelly, sponge fingers, manderin oranges (tinned/drained) and custard then double cream on top.

Cloudia said...

Thank you. A wonderful part of moderation is such treats!


Aloha

Hildred said...

Your recipe is so familiar to me, Pat, - except for the amaretto biscuits which I agree would be a lovely addition.

It is a special occasion dish here, - enough gathered around the table to demolish the trifle in one sitting!!

Arija said...

Oh Pat, I don't even want to know about it! I need to love almost a stone and just thinking about your trifle will put another pound on.

Em Parkinson said...

My mouth is watering....I haven't had trifle since I was a child!

Dartford Warbler said...

My mouth is watering too!
Your recipe sounds delicious.

Frances said...

Ahh, you've given me a Christmas trifle recipe on the first day of July. My childhood Virginia family trifle did not involve jelly, but seemed to be in close adherence to you own recipe.

Yes, we probably would not want to be served this every day, but oh, how deliciou it is as a treat.

Cheers!

Pondside said...

This certainly sounds like mine, with the exception of the biscuits. Jelly? Abomination!

Virginia said...

Yum! There are only two of us at home now, so I think I might try this in a couple of individual glass dishes... the ones we serves flummery-type desserts in in the 1960s and 70s... they are somewhere in the back of my sideboard, and it would stop us greedily scoffing the lot. Thank you

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for visiting - if you had all been here 'in the flesh' the trifle would have just about gone round you all.

mumasu said...

Yum, just Yum :)