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.

Not a fan of traditional trifle, I do a pear and butterscotch layer-y thing. Sliced chocolate swiss roll, with tinned pear halves, and chunks of Cadbury flake, covered in butterscotch Angel Delight and crumbled flake. It's lovely and stupid easy to make

Sherry trifle? Just the one MrsWembley? ;-)

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

Is that so? I never realised! I do like jelly - especially when I can get it to work in a nice shaped mold. However, I rarely use it in trifle. I didn't realise that was making a class statement

Although I normally worship at the alter of St Delia I tend to do my own thing a bit with trifle:

• Slice up a swiss roll and arrange in bowl
• soak with sherry
• Top with raspberries which have been tossed in a bit if sugar
• Pour on custard.
• When custard sets decorate with cream and some reserved raspberries and flaked almonds.

It is always goes down well.

I love trifle and I always make it with jelly. I sometimes make Mary Berry's custard as the middle layer. Sometimes grate chocolate over the cream, sometimes use flaked almonds. Depends what mood I'm in.

Jelly in trifle just NO!

Anyway, as it turns out I hate trifle! It's just slop basically. I prefer my desserts to have some substance to them.

Give me a cheesecake any time.

I'm in the US and we have loads of sherry - every wine store sells it. The pimms does sound lovely though.

Going to do that sliced mini-choc roll trifle described upthread

I make trifle without jelly but am happy to eat it with!

I love sherry.

NO JELLY!!!!

Never jelly, no

As a qualified pastry chef, trifle is in the eye of the beholder!

I was trained without jelly but as my mother used jelly I will continue to do so. Chocolate orange with Cointreau soaked sponges, chocolate custard and caramelised oranges in orange jelly is a particular favourite! Am totally stealing the pimms strawberries and cream idea!!

See - there is an entire cook book of trifles just waiting to be made.

I couldn't remember if we had any Ameretto, as I thought an almond & burnt caramel one would be good.

OK - back from work. Let the trifle making (and Pimms testing) commence.

I live in the mid-West btw, and have only found sherry in a couple of places where it just isn't worth the money (and I don't like it). I do however have my grandmother's old drinks cabinet (I use it for stationery) and if I open that and stick my head inside I get a good whiff.

And YES! to some bizarre pudding with biscuit base and blancmange filling. I used to love that, but can't remember what we called it. I made it once for a party, then for some reason wanted to check something on the bottom of the dish, so picked it up to look and poured unset blancmange all over my head.

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yeah, well, jelly made with Pimm's turns out to be feckin' LUSH!!

Advocaat poured over this weekend sounds wonderful Terrylene, but I hope you've got a big serving plate to fit the weekend on

If you're in the U.S. jam is jelly so you've potentially encountered a whole other conundrum

The squishy jelly is how my mum made it, but she also added custard while it (the custard) was still warm, so that everything amalgamated. It was food of the gods. But then I am partial to a good custard or whipped cream - which she also added to the top - on anything sweet, personally, but don't like ice-cream on desserts.

The Pimms sounds like an inspired addition.

Oooh flickerty that sounds amazing!!

Not keen on jelly in trifle, althought that doesnt stop me eating it!

The best trifle I ever made was a black forest one that I made up (well I read a recipe and it didnt sound nice so I changed it). Chocolate sponge soaked in black cherry liquer if you can get it or brandy if not. Top with black cherries that have been preserved in alcohol. Then get instant custard and melt in 2 bars of Aldi cherry and chilli chocolate (comes in a box of 5 small bars, has a soft centre) and top with whipped cream and grated dark chocolate.

Its amazing!

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.

It comes from the native American word potlach, which was a gift-giving feast where everyone brings food.

There is no jelly in trifle. Unless you're 3. Stop it!

What squoosh said.

OP, by ignoring St Delia you have chosen the Margery Kemp of trifles.

An alternative, filthy yet glorious alternative take on trifle from my student days:

Choc role poly sliced at bottom
Orange jelly with tinned mandarins through it
Choc angel delight
Whipped cream

Phenomenal

You must have Jelly in trifle. That's how my granny made it and she knew everything so...

Not only shocked at people glossing over lack of Sherry, but that Jelly doesn't come in cubes it comes in POWDER?!

Bloody foreigners.

Trifle with jelly = Working Class
Trifle without jelly but with some jam nonsense = middle class

Well, I have finally resolved my middle class anxiety and now know I am firmly working class. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a trifle without jelly!!