Trifle Tips Please!

[QueeferSantaland]

How the Geoff does one make a trifle?

It seems innocuous enough; sponge, jelly, fruit, custard, cream.

But how do you stop the sponge rising into the jelly to make a lumpy jelly soup?
And the custard collapsing into a creamy mush?

I have shamed myself with my refrigerated dessert.

I was trying to redeem myself after burning the Christmas turkey & ham, and forgetting to make vegie gravy.

Is it trifle or triffle?

Spelcheck says the former, but I wouldn't put it past me too muck that up too.

It doesn't traditionally have jelly in it.

This is what I do:

About 6 trifle sponges, split and then re-sandwiched together with raspberry jam and put in bowl. Mix together about 5 tablespoons of sherry and juice of 1 orange. Pour over. Then add the fruit of your choice in a layer - I often use a tub of frozen raspberries (cheaper than fresh at this time of year - defrosted first of course). Then make up half a pint of custard - err on side of thick rather than thin. Allow to cool a little, then pour over. Top with whipped cream - about half a litre whipped up, then toasted flaked almonds and more (preferably fresh this time) raspberries.

No need for jelly. Yuk. If you are my MIL you will use jelly, tinned fruit, and top the whole lot off with crumbled up flake bars - nasty.

ps you of course need to wait for the custard to go completely cold (and set) before adding the cream. Also important is not to overwhip the cream - it should be soft

Ha, well, funny you should say that, but I'm only going on what my MiL does!

Even the crumbled up flake!

Do you make your own custard or get it from a carton?

Make my own (from Birds custard powder though...!) - I find it sets as a better base for the cream than the carton stuff does

Certainly you don't need jelly. I've never used jelly. I only have ever seen trifle with jelly in it, come to think of it, when I visit M&S!

You make it like this:

Trifle sponges cut in 2 (lengthwise) & spread with a bit of jam (eg raspberry jam), & then sandwiched together & laid down at the base of your bowl. You can also use other things for this layer eg chocolate loaf cake (if you're doing a chocolate trifle) or orange loaf cake or plain vanilla loaf cake (for white trifle).

Then you splosh the alcohol of your choice on top (sherry or brandy or cointreau or whatever) but not too much as you don't want your trifle to be completely alcoholic. You also add some fresh orange juice. Add a layer of fruit eg berries or whatever (many choices here). Then you leave this in the fridge for a bit to steep while you get on with your custard.

Ideally you now make your own custard. If not, just use Bird's custard. You then pour the custard (when it's completely cool!) on top of the sponge/fruit mixture & put in fridge to set overnight or even for a whole day.

When you want to eat, whip some double cream (maybe with a spoonful of icing sugar in it), add to the top of the trifle, add maybe some toasted/flaked almonds, and perhaps some caramelised orange/sugar?

That's it. Many combinations you can work on.

def with maria there is just no need for jelly in trifle....so so wrong!

Lovely sponge, or savoiardi biscuits

Plenty of sherry/amaretto/booze of choice...juice if you must but it's really no substitute

Layer of fruit...i often use the frozen rasps or forest fruits...oooh or the cherries

cover that with crumbled amaretti biscuits and possibly a tad more sherry

then home made custard...no excuses

into fridge to cool and then cream on top.

On top, chocolate shavings, 100s&1000s, or cherries and angelica leaves on depending how ironic you want to be.

I do agree with Catsmamma, home-made custard is much much better & really not that hard to make once you've done it a couple of times & have the method down.

Oh I do like jelly in a trifle! My mum and I have a traditional Christmas spat every year over it though as she hates it.

I think jelly does probably make me a bit common. Tralalaa

Soak the sponges in juice before you add jelly to stop them floating up the bowl. Custard HAS to be Birds powder (on this my mother and I agree) and we serve the cream separately (in the plastic tub with a spoon stuck in it)

If you have small children at the meal, stick flaked almonds into raisins and sandwich them between sponge and glass bowl. Voilà! Squashed Fly Trifle!!!

I use the fresh custard you get in the chiller cabinet and think it is very nice (if I say so myself!)

I use cut up swiss roll spread with extra jam then soaked in a mix of creme de cassis/framboise and the juice from the berries if im using frozen berries. i find the swiss roll is less dry than trifle sponges.

and now I have to make trifle again!!

i shall never be thin!

I made tried to make a black forest triffle with choccy sponge,cherries, waitrose chocolate custard in a carton and kirch etc.

It was the jelly wot let it down.

I shall try again sans jelly now MN has told me to!
I have some cherry bon mamman in the fridge too I think.

Is grated 80% chocolate on top as bad as a crumbled flake?
Should I just toast almonds?

Nom nom nom...

I love it with or without jelly.

The amaretto / raspberries / ameretti is lush

A jar of Bonne Maman Cherry Compote and a tin of black cherries or raspberries poured over a mixture of broken up trifle sponges and amaretti biscuits. Make sure the juice soaks right through ( you may not need all of it). Have hated sherry trifle since I was a child so would never add any alcohol.

Pour a tub of M&S thick and creamy custard over - or make your own if you must - chill down and spread with lightly whipped ( soft) cream. Finish with grated dark chocolate on the top.

Very quick and very delicious