Trifle is NOT trifle unless it has jelly, I don't care if its "common" or not.

[SKIPWAY]

Watching Marry Berry, she's made trifle with juice, sherry, custard and cream, no jelly. The cake soaked in jelly is literally the best bit!!!
Normally I like to be a bit fancy in the kitchen for special occasions but this is a hill I'm prepared to die on.
What other things are a must have for you but are considered a bit "common"

Have actually just remembered that sometimes my mum used to make a ‘trifle’ just for the kids which was just jelly with tinned fruit on it, custard and dream topping - no sponge or sherry. And it was really nice in a kiddy sort of way.

I don’t like trifle.

Or custard.

I’ll get my coat.

YABU because trifle is vile, but even more vile with the hateful devil spunk that is jelly 🤢

Traditionally there was supposed to be some kind of fruit element - didn't have to be jelly, could be something like fresh berries or stewed fruit. I wonder if people are counting the juice as fruit?

Trifle without jelly is not a trifle. <bangs gavel>

Trifle without sherry, and so with jelly, is not trifle <bangs gavel>

Common all the way , Jelly necessary!

I put sherry on the cake then pour jelly over and it always sets, it's not like I'm using half a bottle of vodka! Jelly is essential, otherwise it is just damp cake

It's my partner's 59th birthday on Christmas Eve. He wants, and is getting, jelly and blancmange. I'm fancying it up with silver balls on top.

@MaryShelley1818 I am planning on doing a pear & ginger trifle this year but am concerned by the lack of jelly. Does it work? Would it ruin it if I snuck a jelly layer in there?

That's not a Trifle, more like a Fool!

@MaryShelley1818 Please can I have the recipe? It sounds delicious!

I have never eaten trifle containing jelly. Sounds revolting.

Those 1970s and 1980s adverts for Bird's trifle were when the jelly came in. Shop trifle has jelly because it's cheap and easy to use.

I can't say I really care what the trifle ingredients are so long as they all work together and the cream is fresh, not Elmlea or dream topping.

Jelly in trifle is delicious (sometimes) but was entirely made up by the Birds custard company who wanted to make a boxed trifle but couldn't include jam, booze and fruit and keep the price down.
Trifle was originally a way to make a showstopper pudding from leftover sponge.
The only essential bits are dampened sponge, alcohol and custard OR cream. Everything else is down to personal taste.
My taste says lots of booze and I'm not bothered one way or the other about jelly.

Raspberry jelly (madeira cake and raspberry jam) is compulsory along with Birds custard you can stand a spoon up in.

It is the essence of Christmas - that suction sound when you serve the first portion!

I do go a bit off piste with the toppings though - chopped almonds or crumbled flakes are my favourite.

I never eat jelly apart from in trifle at Christmas. It's the law and anything else is posh nonsense 😁

Trifle must have jelly as a balancer for the cream and custard, otherwise the flavours and textures are too similar.

I also love cheap pappy sausages like you get in the chippy. Preferably battered. Posh butchers sausages are a bit too much for me, too meaty and too much flavour.

Wonderful memories. Only at grandparents as my parents were very much about the bean sprouts and lentils.

Pro jelly here too.

I cannot stand soggy sponge, so I wait until the jelly is almost ready to set and then pour over the sponge. This does involve about 20 trips to the fridge to test it though.

Black Forrest Trifle is my favourite food at Christmas.

Jelly is for children and invalids.

Trifle without jelly = sponge + fruit + custard + cream = fruity cream cake with a side of custard which sounds MINGING.

The addition of jelly elevates - ELEVATES! - a fruity cakey gloopy confusion into a dessert of an altogether different dimension.

It only ‘elevates’ it if you think jelly elevates anything. It doesn’t if you don’t #statesobvious

We have a sherry trifle with jelly every year.
It will set with sherry. You just replace some water with sherry when making the jelly.

You’re mixing your puddings up. Eton Mess is completely different.