How the heck do you make trifle?

[Paula71]

Okay, I always buy them straight from the supermarket but I thought this year I'd make it from scratch.

I've flicked through all my recipe books and cards but nothing there! So mumsnetters, I know someone will have a good recipe of how to do it (and no alcohol due to ds twins and dh not drinking!)

I await your response eagerly! Cheers m'dears!

I guess you need to look up recipes for jelly, custard and the cream for the topping. And throw in some fruit and/or those sponge thingies into the jelly if you want.

dont I hate it!

Um.... trifle sponges at the bottom, soaked in alcohol if you like, and maybe some fruit. Pour jelly over the top, allow to set. Pour custard over the top, allow to set. Add whipped cream and decorate.

At least that's what I remember them being!

here it is

This is my Mums recipe and its dead easy.

Buy trifle sponges - break up and soak in a bit of alchol or OJ in a large bowl. This bowl needs to be big and high enough to hold the trifle layers. A glass one looks good too.

Make up raspberry or strawberry jelly pack as per directions on the pack. Pour the jelly mixture over the soaked sponges. If you want you can dump a small tin of fruit salad in too. Leave to set in the fridge until jelly is set.

Make up the custard. You can either use a tin, fresh pot of custard or make up the powdered version (eg birds) - although this can dangers of turning out lumpy. Add a couple of drops of vanilla essence to the custard. Put a layer of custard over your set jelly. Put this in the fridge once again to set.

Before serving (or a couple of hours before), get a tin of sterlised cream and beat in a couple of tablespoons of caster sugar. This gives the cream a firmer consistency. Put the cream layer over the custard.

Finally sprinkle over either chocolate strands or 100's and 1000's and serve.

Its dead easy ! good luck

Metrobaby,
that is my mum's too so it must be the official recipe for trifle

sterilised cream??? surely you mean Dream Topping?

Jamie Oliver had a nice one in the Mail on Saturday magazine, might give it ago, I will have to dig it out of the recyling bin though!

no, no, no - you do not put jelly in a REAL trifle

I presume you mean pasteurised fresh cream to avoid any risk of listeria etc? Never use that nasty stuff out of a can myself! I always use jelly to give a firmer texture but this is personal preference. Nice with berries (frozen) or canned peaches I think. This is a Xmas staple for me - its so easy!

also dont use tinned custard it never sets. You have to make your own, so it furms up properly. Can you tell I have loads of disasters making trifle?

Nigellas lemongrass trifle is the best trifle in the world and involves making custard from scratch which is a wonderfully soothing ritual imo

I make a cherry trifle as follows:

Make a small sponge (1 egg) sponge in a pudding basin in microwave. (This is easy but unnecessary you could just buy cheap sponge from supermarket).
Break up and put in bottom of large glass bowl and soak with sherry.
Add tin of cherries (NB ensure stones are removed - have made this mistake) and a tin of that cherry pie filling stuff.
Sometimes add jelly made with cherry juices or one of those quick-gel things.
Put in fridge to set.
Make custard from tin adding slightly more custard powder than directions to ensure it sets.
Allow custard to cool slightly and pour into trifle bowl and put in fridge to set.
Add small amount of caster sugar to double cream and whip until stiff.
Spoon over trifle.
Decorate with glace cherries and angelica.

Also make a chocolate orange version of this.

I have always allowed my DS to eat laced trifle but if you're not happy use fruit juice instead.

bozza it calms him down right?

Well Santafio2 - generally trifle days mean hoardes of relations, loads of new toys, being the centre of attention, plenty of high additive/sugary food and totally hyper so I need something.....

My recipe sounds similar to Bozza's chocolate orange recipe - double chocolate muffins in the bottom soaked with alcohol (or fruitjuice) add a tin of mandarin segments, chocolate custard (normal custard with some melted plain chocolate stirred into it) topped with cream, decorate with some orange segments and chocolate leaves.

Yes jaybee and its delicious. Usually use brandy in this one.

It's also nice with Tia Maria!!

Thanks folks! I shall try one of those. Really I am not too keen on the sponge so might just use fruit instead, lazy boots that I am!