To ignore St. Delia of Norwich?

[KickAssAngel]

I live in the US and I'm going to a potluck at a friend's house tomorrow. Last time I made trifle (a couple fo years ago), it was very well received, and my friends all loved my English style. So, I thought I'd just check the recipe before going to the store for ingredients.

I have TWO tried & tested cook books - one that was the "modern" version of my mum's old one (this modern one is itself over 30 years old) and Delia.

BOTH of them say that trifle is made with trifle sponges, raspberry jam, and a sprinkling of sherry. Then custard. Where's the JELLY?

WIBU to ignore these ancient sages, and to make mine with trifle sponge (SOAKED in Pimms (can't get sherry)), then strawberries in strawberry jelly, made with Pimms instead of water, then the custard?

I'm sure that's how I normally make it - about once every two years. I'll pour the jelly over the sponges whilst it's still liquid so that they are a jellied, strawberried delight with Pimms flavoring.

I would do whatever you fancy doing. I remember making a Delia trifle with sponges and custard made from scratch, for a new boyfriend. He told me that his ex-wife made it how he liked it, with jelly. The relationship didn't last long after that.

Yours sounds divine, do it!

Pimm's trifle! That's inspired!

I don't put jelly in mine as DH is vegetarian irrelevant but placemarking for trifle recipes

This should be interesting. Do you realise that jelly/no-jelly in trifle is one of the class dividers so beloved of MN?

I used to use peach schnapps in mine instead of sherry

Jelly in a trifle is thought to be a bit less authentic, probably because an instant jelly is a relatively modern ready made ingredient whereas an old fashioned trifle would have been made from scratch using homemade custard, cake and so on. However many people do love jelly in trifle so I'm sure it would go down nicely either way. I do like Delia's custard made using all double cream and a spot of cornflour to help prevent splitting.

YWBU, jelly is the best part of trifle.

What is a pot luck?

So, my plan is: trifle sponges soaked in Pimm's (nearest thing to sherry without spending a fortune, and I can always "test it" to make sure it hasn't gone off since last week, right?)
Then mix up strawberry jelly (and open up the great strawberry/raspberry controversy) and add chopped strawberries, the jelly (using Pimm's instead of water), and leave that to be soaked up the sponges. Once set, make some thick custard (I have a packet of Bird's powder ready), and pour that over. At the last minute pipe some whipped cream on (NOT from a can), and add sprinkles & little strawberries to decorate.

May have to make myself a mini version as I go along to devour asap for testing purposes.

I like birds trifle mix so i would vote jelly , my nan didnt use jelly but did use tinned fruit cocktail poured over stale madeira cake spread with jam and lashings of sherry both yummy in my opinion

pot luck = American term for everyone bringing a dish. It's a pun! Because it's pot luck (random) that you don't all bring stew (although nowadays google sign up stuff gets around that) and it's also mainly dishes that are served in pots, so that they can be transported.

There is ALWAYS about five times too much food, so then we all take home leftovers.

Sounds lovely just make sure the pimms jelly is sweet enough and not too strong. Will kids or tea total lets be at the potluck? If so you could make up a non pimms one for them.

a potluck is a Jacob's Join

So does that mean you could have a really random meal? Like mackerel pate followed by Thai curry followed by chocolate mousse?

My trifle recipe:

Cadbury mini rolls cut in thirds and fresh berries doused in Baileys. Some form of supermarket 'finest/posho' Madagascan vanilla custard splodged on top. Whipped cream. Cadbury flakes crumbled on top

YUMMM

I vote for the jelly! I don't care if it's not authentic it's the trifle LAW

Jelly is the only bit of trifle I actually like so YANBU. Sherry - no, soggy sponge - no, cold custard - no, whipped cream - take it or leave it.

whine - yes, in theory.

My experience is that is someone brings a thai dish they'll bring on the requisite sides that go with it, then someone else will have hot dogs and "fixings", then there will be mac n cheese and salad, and burgers, and a cheese board, and a whole nachos & dip stuff, about 20 puddings etc. Each dish will be enough for abut 20 people, so probably about 200 could get a decent meal, but 15 of us will set to and eat as much as we can!

No kids or tee totallers.

May take a jug of Pimm's & lemonade as my drink contribution.

The jelly is my favourite part, I'm obviously a classless heathen. BUT - strawberries in a trifle is an abomination when the far superior RASPBERRY exists.

... I'm going to have to make a trifle this weekend now.

Vegetarian jelly at Sainsbury's... Mil made it with sponge and cherry pie filling that had a sauce, then custard and cream. I make it with jelly usually as I can't find tinned pie filling anymore.
Always makes me think of Friends' shepherds' pie trifle.

My brother married a Corden Bleu chef and she was appalled to discover that our idea of a trifle was sponges, jelly, blancmange, custard and whipped cream all layered up!! Apparently the 'proper' trifle doesn't have jelly

It sounds delicious! I do prefer raspberry jelly though... Enjoy your supper.

I hold with jelly. Love it.

Here in Oz people have curry evenings where everyone brings a curry...the hosts usually do the rice and naan etc. I love it! Wish we had more random ones though...I like the idea of Thai and then hotdogs!

So glad that people are backing my decision to ignore Delia! And only one shout out about raspberries (which I also love, but go so soggy in a trifle).

Right then, Jello -O! back on the shopping list. (it comes in a fine powder, btw, not cubes)

As a concession to straw/rasp-berry debate, I will see which one looks freshest/best at the store & be swayed in my decision.

I make it with vegan/vegetarian jelly from a local shop. Think it can be bought on amazon (in bulk) too.

My DP is the only one who's wrong about trifle, in that he doesn't like it. I'm not too fussed about what's in it. Anything with some sort of cakey thing and cold custard is a win... Sod that, anything with vast amounts of sugar is a win!