Easy trifle advice please

[Trifletrifle]

I’ve decided to make a simple trifle as one of the desserts for Christmas Day. However, I practiced today and it wasn’t good!

I made the lady finger sponges (it needs to be gluten free). I thought this came out ok., then added summer forest fruits (from the freezer), would tinned / fresh fruit be better?

made up some Hartley strawberry jelly added it to my bowl and put in the fridge to set.

I made the custard from birds custard powder - it was very lumpy despite constant stirring and correctly measuring. I sieved it, cooled and added to the bowl after several hours in the fridge.

I then whisked some double cream, but it didn’t thicken so ended up using ‘Birds dream topping’ instead.

kept bowl in the fridge until this evening but it was a watery mess 😳

my lady fingers had completely disintegrated, the jelly didn’t seem set and the custard wasn’t great.

Can you share some tips please? I’d like to keep it as simple as possible as I’m making several other desserts for Christmas Day.

A few years ago I started using blueberry muffins instead of trifle sponges - gamechanger!!! Sure you could get gluten free ones!

You don't need lady fingers. Any GF cake (slightly stale) will be perfect.

Jelly- add tinned fruit to the jelly when it is liquid. Set the jelly for a good 3/4 of the day. Don't add all the water so if it says 1 pint,
Only use 3/4 pint. It makes it set better.

Tinned custard all the way. Set the custard overnight.

Use whipping cream. Add it just before serving. Obviously whip the cream! And then great a little chocolate on top, or some 100s and 1000s

Ladies fingers optional chocolate

Was just checking this vital part of the process had been mentioned! Good work!

Bottom layer: I buy trifle sponges, slice in half horizontally, then put jam on, as if i were making a jam sandwich, put the two halves back together and cut into about 5 slices. I usually use about 6 trifle sponges per trifle but obviously it depends on the size of the bowl.

2nd layer: fruit and more fruit juice than you expect. Add sherry if you want (I don't). Definitely no jelly! Leave it for a few hours so that the sponges can soak up the liquid.

3rd layer: custard. I make it with custard powder, and thicker than I would if I was making it to pour on eg apple crumble. It shouldn't go lumpy if you stir continuously, but if it does, use a stick blender. Cool before pouring on top of the fruit.

Top layer: wait until the custard has completely cooled and set. I'm very surprised that your double cream didn't thicken. Double cream is generally a bit too thick, in my view, and it's easy to overwhip it. I think it's best to use whipping cream or a combination of double cream and single cream (in a ratio of 2 quantities of double to 1 quantity of single). Dream Topping is no substitute for cream!

Decorate as you wish using a combination of fruit, chocolate and toasted almonds.

My mum used to fold stiffly beaten egg whites into the cream after whipping to give it a better texture and make ur go further.

I am amazed that Birds Dream Topping is still sold! I thought it disappeared years ago. I was so glad when my mother got over the fad for it and went back to using real cream. (This was in the 60s.) I do remember that if there was any left over and she put it in the fridge overnight, there would just be a bowl of liquid in the morning. Sorry, just having a reminisce.

Tinned fruit cocktail or a couple of Swiss rolls chopped,or both raspberry jelly put a little less water than it says for a large bowl two jellies, two tins of ambrosia custard and whipping cream for the top and flaked almonds on top or chocolate buttons.

Also make sure you drain tinned fruit

I agree. I discovered it a couple of years ago and it’s a family favourite on special occasions. I’m not great a links but hopefully this is it.

Homemade fatless sponge sandwiched with raspberry jam and cut into chunks
Definitely good quality sherry
definitely no jelly
fresh or frozen raspberries
broken little almond flavoured biscuits amaretti
best quality ready made custard
double or whipping cream whipped and spooned on
Decorated with toasted almond flakes (try not to burn them!) and cocktail cherries
m den a Boxing Day staple for 50 years

I agree with Pollyparkin. We did almost exactly the same with a trifle and it was REALLY nice.

you could just buy one ready made

My mum always made a sherry trifle using a jam sponge that was slightly dry, soaked in sherry, layered with home made custard - usually two layers of each. No fruit, no jelly, no cream except when it was served.

I make a tiramisu.

Really important not to forget the flaked almonds or cherries for the topping.

My DM makes the Delia Smith one a PP linked to

I've tried and mine is never the same god knows why

Plus the DC always prefer whatever she makes to my version that she taught me

Little buggers

This

I've yet to find a GF ready made trifle...

@Trifletrifle Bonne Maman GF madeleines work well in a trifle. Frozen fruit, IME, is too wet.

I’d make life simple and buy elements rather than make from scratch if possible. Home Bargains sell GF products (for the base?) and everything else needed. As PP have said, M & S is a good call.
While I’m #beinglazy, have you seen Nigel Slater’s recipe for sticky toffee pudding? It’s sooo straightforward and fabulous every time. I thank him and McVitie’s for ginger cake.

Use a GF Madeira cake, crumble it up into a bowl. Use just enough water to desolve a packet of jelly(I use raspberry). Mix a tin of fruit cocktail into your jelly, give it a stir and pour into the Madeira mix. This will set in about an hour so it's handy if u need a dessert in a hurry. Pour a ready made carton of custard on top once jelly etc is set. Put whipped cream and sprinkle on top. Eat and enjoy!

Birds custard is basically cornflour with flavourings and colourings to mimic real custard. Chocolate sauce/chocolate blancmange would be made with cornflour, sugar, milk and chocolate, so it's logical that you can substitute custard powder for the cornflour.

My Mum makes a trifle... everything is wrong!
Fruit Cocktail
Jelly
Trifle Sponges (cheap)
Blancmange not custard
Whipped cream
Cheap chopped nuts...it tastes AMAZING!!!!!

I buy gf Victoria sponge or the Bonnie maman madeleines for the sponge. Amaretti biscuits works as well & make a nice change.

Ginger cake/mandarins/orange jelly makes a nice variation of trifle.

Trick I always use is to make the jelly and the custard at the same time, put the custard in a jug and cover with a damp cloth to stop it forming a skin whilst it cools. Use slightly less water than it suggests on the jelly pack if you are using fruit.

With the cream-buy whipping if you are struggling with double, but generally I add a little icing sugar and vanilla essence to the cream.

Only layer up the trifle when everything is cold or it just merges.