Do you like the sound of my invented trifle...?

[betterwhenthesunshines]

I quite like trifle, but it's only close family so I think I can risk something different. How about a Caribbean inspired one (with a little bit of Italy):

Panetone
Prunes and raisins soaked in rum
Custard
Bananas and caramel sauce
Cream ( caramel peanuts on the top for a bit of crunch?)

I know the prunes may be a bit odd but a friend made a chocolate cake with prunes soaked in brandy and it was heavenly.

Do I have a future career inventing recipes? Votes please on whether this sounds worth the risk!

[BoundandRebound]

Sorry but no

Prunes in brandy also very different from rum

[BoysAreLikeDogs]

sounds yum

[betterwhenthesunshines]

Maybe I should do a rum / brandy taste test tonight

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

I would forget the prunes and soak the raisins in Ameretto instead, just personal preference.

[Startail]

Nothing wrong with prunes and rum, I've done dark Christmas cake that way.

My problem is with the bananas, but I hate bananas so that's pretty irrelevant to it being a good recipe, which, so long as the caramel sauce Is nice and not stupidly sickly I think it could be. I often buy rum and raisin fudge.

[ouryve]

Maybe unsulphured apricots instead of the prunes. And the pannetone would probably be lost - probably cheaper to use brioche, or even madeira cake, for the same effect.

I would definitely leave the peanuts off, though. Sweet peanuts are an abomination [fboak]

[flibbergibbet]

Sounds absolutely gorgeous!

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Don't fancy that, sorry. No to prunes and no to rum.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Oh and no to bananas, which go all gloopy and horrible.

[Imnotaslimjim]

That sounds absolutely lush! Where do you live, I'm on my way with a spoon!

[InNeedOfBrandyButter]

Prunes are just plums yes?

Hmm for a caribbean trifle I would do mango and pinapple although jelly and pinapple don't go together. Maybe mango fruit with a pinapple flavoured jelly and some sort of lime in the cream topping.

[InNeedOfBrandyButter]

Or a coconut cream mmm

[InNeedOfBrandyButter]

and soak mango in malibu first mmm

I'm doing a black forest trifle but mm I might change my mind last minute.

[Themilkybarisonme]

I'm not really convinced to be brutally honest. The panettone would be too chewy, the prunes and rum too strongly flavoured, the caramel too sweet for my taste. Trifle isn't a punchy dessert to me - delicious, many flavoured, but not packing those strong flavours.

[Themilkybarisonme]

How about making a compote of fresh plums, soaking some broken up sponge in it and using that as a base (might use some Polish plum liqueur, but only a tiny bit, then making banana custard (blended? Hmm) and putting that on top with cream on that and a few walnuts crushed to sprinkle on top.

Not really the same, but my best go. I didn't want to complain without suggesting alternatives

[betterwhenthesunshines]

i have a cheap panettone so that's why I thought I could use that, but maybe it would be too chewey and better as a bread and butter pudding.

Like the mango and lime idea though, custard made with coconut milk could be good too. Rice pudding made with coconut milk is delicious.

Tried rum and brandy prunes last night and both are quite pungent and maybe too strong for trifle. Haven't had Malibu for ages!

Remus I wondered about bananas but there are some pics on Pinterest with bananas in and they survive OK in banoffie pie so I though they might be alrights as long as not exposed to the air.

We do have a plum liquer - and some spiced compote so maybe I'll end up with that! or make lots of different min ones

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Plum idea sounds gorgeous. Plum and gingerbread even better. I've done pear and gingerbread before, with stem ginger in syrup and almonds.

[Themilkybarisonme]

I had some trifle with banana in at a friend's house and it was amaaaaazing. Your spiced compote sounds fantastic, too. Where did you say you lived...?

[mumof2girls99]

not for me dont sound good sorry hope you have a good xmas though :D