Wanted: recipe for The Very Best Trifle. Ever.

[DoItTooJulia]

I know it's old fashioned, but I've got a bee in my bonnet about making a trifle. We have an Australian relative visiting and we are on a mission to show him the best of all things English/British.

I would say a layer of posh trifle sponge and red fruits. Red jelly. Then set custard. Then piped noiseettes of cream. and hundreds and thousands for the complete retro vibe No booze.

Or am I doing it wrong?

This: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1678/baked-raspberry-and-bramble-trifle-with-drambuie It's a slight twist but it's incredible - the best I've ever had. And demonstrates the British cooking can be a bit more grown-up/sophisticated.

Why no booze?

I don't put jelly in mine - don't think really good trifle has jelly.

Apparently jelly in trifle isn't the done thing.

I used to love jelly trifles, but all the red jellies taste weird now - I think they've removed the sugar/additives/everything good.

So you end up with toxic tasting, cream-covered wobble.

I made my own red jelly once using Vege-gel and the juice from a tin of strawberries, but it really wasn't worth the effort.

I'd go with a traditional English jelly-free froth type thing.

Must have Jelly for the slurp factor when you dig in
Must have Shery... just because.
Like the look of Raspberry and Bramble Highlove, will try that.

Yes to Vege-gel TheMoa so prehaps why our "jelly" trifle tastes so good.

Just upgrade - our favourite is
good madeira cake sliced, soaked in either alcohol or fruit juice
raspberries in jelly- but packed with fruit, not much jelly
creme brulee without the crackle on the top ( or good creme anglaise )
soft whipped double cream
either flaked almonds or broken up chocolate flake
Jobs done :)

I like a Delia Smith one with caramelised oranges and whisky.

Trifle shouldn't have jelly in it - ever.

I don't think you can make a trifle without booze can you?!

Black Forest trifle with chocolate cake, black cherries, custard and cream, grated chocolate and cherry liqueur is a favourite here.

Ginger cake, limoncello, lemon jelly, custard & cream is luscious.

Alcohol essential I'm afraid. Sherry in the bottom layer sponge and then a thin layer of broken amaretti biscuits & amaretto between the custard and cream layers. Delish but only bought out for Xmas.

I don't know why no booze! As a kid it was the bit I didn't like, so a hang up from that.

No jelly when did that go out of fashion? We are veggie so it's always vege jelly.

Highlove that looks amazing.

Maybe I should go to the charity shop, buy 5 trifle dishes and make 5 different amazing trifles and we could have a trifle tasting party! One with booze, one no jelly, one baked bramble one, one trad (a la DoItTooJulia) and one other?

Can I come round yours for the trifle tasting?

Get a pannettone. Cut it up and spread cherry conserve over it. Tip in a jar of cherries in Kirsch. Add a dash of cherry brandy. Make custard, adding another splash of cherry brandy and pour over the panettone/cherries layer. Decorate with fresh stoned cherries. Serve with whipped cream.

Cherry Trifle - Yum!

Highlove - thank you - i have pinned that - it looks lovely! :)

no jelly!

I layer mine, it's a very moveable feast, pick an item from each section

1)cake : sponge fingers, trifle sponge, cake, swiss roll slices

2)amaretti biscuits, crushed

3)fruit: jam or actual real fruit

4. more crushed amaretti, or stand them on their edged for prettiness around the bowl

5)fruit: again, either jam or real fruit (for preference use both in separate layers

6)delicious eggy vanilla-ey gloopy custard

7)cream: extra thick, or lightly whipped, or piped rosettes

8. flaked almonds, chocolate curls, decorative fruits slices

There must be NO jelly, and there must be enough sherry in it to make it risky to drive after a bowlful.

In an ideal world I make all the things, sponge, custard, jam, in a less than ideal world I use shop bought.

No jelly! A proper English trifle is sponge soaked in sherry, with optional summer fruits like strawberries or raspberries, then a layer of thick custard and cream.

a Birds trifle is sponges split with jam, covered in jelly, then custard, then Dream Topping cream, then a flaked Flake. Or hundreds and thousands that have just started to run.

Iklboo that sounds heavenly, cannot wait to try it out - also like the idea of amaretti biscuits CaTs. Can't wait!

Definetly sherry! My first experience of feeling tipsy as a child!!

The best trifle is the Scottish version Tipsy Laird

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tipsylaird_10686

lots of sherry

I've always hated trifle, mainly because I've only generally had the Birds variety, I was reading this hoping that maybe the real thing would inspire me, but I can't abide alcohol in puddings, so maybe not! I might try some of these ideas with juice though.

I'll be honest WhoKnows I don't like alcohol in trifles either - in fact usually I put the fruit on top of the madeira, and then as little jelly as possible, just to damp the cake, and hold the fruit in place ( home grown raspberries of course! )

My mum makes a wonderful trifle without booze, although once, at my urging, she added some calvados- it made it sublime.

Base of sponge fingers, the crisp sort. (optional calvados here). Stewed apple pureed and rasperrys, (tinned!!), (birds) custard, loads of whipped cream, flaked almonds.

Heaven.

Are you sure what you actually wanted wasn't a bunfight over what is "correct" in a trifle?

Ooh, homegrown raspberries, yes, that might be a possibility for the first time this year. Although it look as though it's going to be a small trifle in that case.