Festive trifle for a traditionalist?

[Liveinthepresent]

My MIL loves a good old fashioned sherry trifle at Christmas - this year I would like to make one as we are hosting.
I tried a raspberry and limoncello one previously which we all loved but I know she would have preferred her own.
Anyone got any magic recipes to please the traditionalist that is still a bit different?

Why not make two trifles - one old school for her, and a modern for you. Personally I love the trifle of my childhood - sponge, strawberry jelly, tinned strawberries, strawberry blancmange and whipped cream. Haute cuisine it isn't, but for me its a once a year comfort eat

I like your thinking but there are only 5 adults so not sure I can justify two. I like the sound of yours !
Maybe I will just make what she likes.

I make a chocolate orange one, using orange jelly and mandarin segments, chocolate custard and cream. It is delicious, even if I say so myself. My DM did something similar but with black cherry for a Black Forest vibe.

Yak Yak no jelly.

Swiss roll, artfully sliced and arranged in a straight sided trifle bowl.
A drizzle of "Fruit Squirts" strawberry .
Tinned peaches (with a drizzle of juice over the Swiss Roll)
A drizzle of "Fruit Squirt" passionfruit without the seeds.

Sainsburys Taste the Difference or Waitrose custard .

Whipped double cream and some crushed up peanut brittle on top.

(Fruit Squirts are Easi-Yo fruit compote in a pouch)

Gingerbread and pear

Oh and one can always justify two trifles.

I would just go with the old fashioned way but do another dessert you like that will keep for another night.

I made a really nice casserole..wine etc. my dh said he liked I the ways I always made it.. With bistro!

I think it more to do with comfort and memories than anything for them.

I made an amazing Black Forest trifle last year.

Yum yum these all sound good ! Maybe I should make several!

Yes Jelly. It's not a trifle without jelly, it's just a creamy thing.

Swiss roll (no not sponge fingers, DH you are a heathen) too much sherry (and then, if you were my DGreat aunt more sherry) tin of mixed fruit, custard, whipped cream.

Opinion is divided over custard, my family did birds powder. DMIL did real egg custard and I like ambrosia Devon tinned custard.

At Christmas DMIL decorated the trifle a with cherries, candied mango, papaya, angelic and anything else pretty the local wonderful loose goods shop could provide.

NO JELLY!

Or all the witches, ghosts and ghouls will come and get you.

JELLY.

It ain't trifle without jelly.

It has to be jelly, otherwise where will the SHLUUUURRRRRRPPPPP sound comes from.

And the custard layer must set - no runny stuff

This is v good. V easy and a crowd pleaser, have made it a few times.

This is mine and I think it was a delia

trifle sponges or plain cake spread with raspberry jam and then doused with sherry. Scatter over frozen raspberries (defrosted) and add two small sliced bananas.

Proper custard with 3/4 pint of cream and 3-4 eggs, depending on size, 3 tbs caster sugar, few drops of good vanilla. Simmer the cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla until the custard thickens - cool and pour over the sponge and fruit and let it go cold.

Add about 3/4 point whipped cream and then top with toasted almonds. We always have it on Boxing Day.

And trifle should NEVER EVER have jelly in it!

Yes jelly!

I do the easiest trifle in the world - sponge fingers, tinned fruit, jelly, tinned custard, whipped cream, grated chocolate. That's how we rolled when I was little. Except the custard probably wasn't tinned.

No Jelly - ever!

I'm with Starallbunny. Swiss roll, a tin of fruit cocktail, birds custard and thick whipped cream. Some fruit bits on the top if you're feeling posh.

Yes jelly preferably raspberry.

Ant trifle you buy in a shop has jelly and any in a restaurant has jelly, in fact it's only on MN that I've heard this ridiculous thing of trifle with no jelly. It's not trifle without jelly

Who wants packet jelly with gelatine (which is meat based in their pudding?) Euwgh"

I do married

I also like mince pies with suet.

My trifle is crumbled madeira cake in the base, covered in a tin of fruit cocktail and a tin of mandarin oranges (reserve a few bits for decoration,) soak the cake with marsala sweet wine and juice from the fruit. Then add a layer of proper Birds custard (made from scratch) and allow to set and form a skin. Then when cold add the whipped cream layer and decorate with the reserved mandarin orange slices, cherries, flaked almonds etc.

This is the star of Christmas day supper for us.

girlywirly. I almost spat tea over the computer "a layer of proper Birds custard (made from scratch). That has to be a Mnet classic.

married you can get vegetarian jelly (I think it has agar to set it) but as a vegetarian myself I've never tried it or wanted too.

No jelly - 'tis nasty

Yes Married, cos the tinned custard doesn't make a skin! (My mum who hated cooking used to use the tinned sort in her trifles and it was a nightmare to serve, used to drip everywhere and once the first spoon was out of the dish it resembled a landslide!)

I am not unable to make egg custard, I have done in the past for trifles, just not for the Christmas day tea cos DH likes it a bit less rich, and I need to keep a close eye on my fat intake. So sadly the custard gets made with semi-skimmed milk and the whipped cream layer isn't very deep.

I am remembering with great fondness a trifle I made with caramel egg custard. You caramelise the sugar in a pan, then pour on boiling milk and stir until the caramel has dissolved, pour this onto the whisked egg yolks and pour back into the pan to cook and thicken. Tastes gorgeous in an orange based trifle.