... to think that trifle isn't trifle if there's no jelly in it?

[evalyn]

OP wants trifle made without jelly. I think trifle has to have jelly or it's not trifle. Which of us is BU?

YABU

Trifle with jelly is wrong, wrong, wrong.

You are all wrong. Trifle, in any form, is vile.

No jelly. Moro recipe but using bought custard

No objection to jelly but I hate soggy sponge fingers or any other sort of soggy sponge. Put the alcohol in either the jelly or the cream for me and avoid the sponge

It's a class thing .

I like trifle made with swiss roll, shameful amounts of sherry, orange or strawberry jelly and tinned fruit of some kind, custard, cream and a crumbled up flake and toasted almonds on top.

Only have it once a year.

Middle class here and brought up on trifle with jelly.
However yabu, jelly is all sorts of wrong.
I've convinced dh that jelly was introduced because jam was in short supply due to rationing and started banging on about style over substance. He now repeats my lies to people

We were taught O Level Cookery in our Grammar School in the early fifties. It was called 'Scotch Trifle' then. (sorry about the 'Scotch', I lived in Scotland for many years and I know the Scots don't like the word 'scotch') The teacher told us one would normally put sherry on the sponge, but we weren't allowed as we were 'too young'. There was definitely jelly. (I remember this as I used to pinch a cube or two to chew while dissolving the rest!)

By the way, I'm a southerner, from West London originally. But all my Norfolk friends in our Ladies Group make trifle the same way as I do, and they're easterners!

Yuk to jelly in trifle.

Definitely NO jelly

Also nice is to put some thinly sliced banana on top of the jelly but under the custard

I draw the line at banana

Also, none of that tinned fruit salad that has cubes of gritty pear in. Really don't like the pear.

I prefer tinned strawberries in juice-not syrup and the jelly has to be red, either strawberry or preferably raspberry.

Madeira cake all broken up, home made strawberry jam warmed up then poured over cake layer, then alcohol, I like whisky best.
Leave to cool, then vanilla custard layer, followed by layer of whisked double cream, then good quality chocolate grated over the top. Yum!

Trifle with jelly is working class trifle. The sponge has to be swiss roll or boughten trifle sponges, you use Bristol Cream sherry, tinned fruit salad and Bird's custard.

No pineapple chunks in the fruit cocktail or the jelly won't set.

Yes I know that jelly doesn't go in a classic trifle, but my preferences are:

1. My DM's trifle with boudoir biscuits soaked in sherry, pineapple, lime jelly and real egg custard

Or

1. Retro jelly with sponge, jelly, raspberries (probably tinned), sherry and Birds custard

Hundreds and thousands on top are de rigeur for both.

I know posh people purists say that trifle shouldn't have Jelly in it, but I think that would just be rrrrrrrrubbish!

Forriner living in the South here,so maybe I don't count.

Just exactly like Kneequestion makes it!.One slightly boozy for kiddies and another one so boozy , it knocks your socks off.

Thanks everyone. Seems the consensus is ... that there's no consensus. We'll have to keep arguing discussing until it's made. Then it'll be cook's choice, of course.

I hate trifle. My aunts was hideous.

I've never had one I wasn't forced to eat. id rather just sherry tbh.

And don't get me started on the other 70's hideousness of Black Forest gateaux

Typing that nearly put me off my prosecco!

Goodness! Just home from Christmas shopping, bags unpacked, feet up in front of fire, relaxing with a cuppa to find bizarre toppings have now appeared .

The only topping is double cream softly whipped with toasted flaked almonds on top!

Yes, yes, MrsS

I too have to draw the line at sliced bananas though!

And I have to have it more than once a year!