A Mere Trifle

A MERE TRIFLE

My in-laws live in England, and over the years I’ve come to truly appreciate British food.  Certainly, British fare isn’t as revered as the cuisine of its closest European neighbor, but it nevertheless specializes in comfort. Shepherd’s Pie, scones and clotted cream, beans on toast: these are all things to cozy up with on a cold, damp day. As the bleak midwinter season lies ahead of us, we should all become Anglophiles in the kitchen.

One of my favorite foods to come from “across the pond” is English Trifle.  It’s kind of like a dessert casserole, in that it’s a mess of things in one bowl.  But also not like a casserole, because it keeps its distinct layers of cake, fruit, custard, and whipped cream—and makes a pretty presentation. It’s often served on special occasions—and I usually make it once a year for Christmas Day.   I had wondered why this tradition never caught on in America, and I think I got my answer when I asked for the secret family recipe.  The ingredients list called for all sorts of funny-sounding things: A sponge swiss roll, an egg cup of sherry (how many American s own egg cups?), 1 Jelly, 1 tin Raspberries, Custard, and Cadburys flake.

Now, I always thought of myself as fairly fluent in Brit-speak, but this required serious translation.   Luckily I’ve done the work for you—below are my Americaniz(s)ed directions for making  trifle:

1.   Get yourself a plain sponge cake—meaning something that will soak up the liquor you’re going to be dousing it with.  Don’t try to be a hero and make your own—you’ll just tire yourself out for the rest of the recipe. A Sara Lee poundcake works just fine.   Cut it into 3-4 inch slices and lay them down in a big glass bowl: on the bottom and up the sides.

2.   Spread a layer of raspberry or strawberry jam on top of the cake slices.

3.   Next, your fruit layer.  Use whatever you want: fresh or frozen.  I usually use frozen raspberries (defrosted and drained), but strawberries can work—as can fresh kiwi or bananas.

4.   Add  1 (okay, 2) shots  of sherry or another one of your favorite liquors (Grand Marnier, perhaps?). Put in fridge overnight. 

5.   The following morning, it’s time for your custard/pudding layer.  For a true English trifle, you need to use Bird’s Custard, which can be found in places like Wegman’s  or any other grocery with a wide international aisle.  But don’t sweat it if you can’t find—you can use regular vanilla pudding, if you must. Alas, our American puddings tend to be a bit cloyingly sweet for trifle, but I wouldn’t want a lack of Bird’s custard to stop you from making it. Whatever you use, just be sure that pudding/custard is completely cooled before you add to the trifle.

6.   Add your layer of whipped cream.  Here I must strongly encourage you to make your own. (I beg of you, no “whipped topping” or anything from a spray can).  Now that electric mixers have been invented, it’s dead- easy:  just put heavy whipping cream and a dash of sugar and vanilla in a bowl, and set your mixer on high speed for 5 minutes. 

7.   Put back in fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.  Grate some chocolate over the top for the final presentation.  

Happy Trifling!

Jennifer

Image via here.