Hit me with your best trifle recipes please

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I will not be making my own custard.

I used to do either raspberries with Port (no jelly) or a chocolate one with chocolate Swiss roll, tinned mandarins and orange jelly. I made a ginger and pear one once too, but it wasn't as nice as I thought it would be.

Any other good ideas?

And where the heck does one buy chocolate Swiss rolls these days? Not seen one for years.

Nigella does a good trifle. This one is gorgeous.

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/anglo-italian-trifle

And M&S do a chocolate Swiss roll.

https://www.ocado.com/products/m-s-chocolate-sponge-roll-511095011?ds_rl=1290893&ds_rl=1291426&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwZ6Y3fTNggMVAdvtCh0spwzmEAQYAiABEgJqePD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Following with interest... I saw one a few years ago that involved a bit of Prosecco in the jelly. I suppose most recipes could be tweaked to accommodate that though.

Baileys www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/baking-and-desserts/baileys-tiramisu-trifle/ or Black Forest https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a561066/black-forest-trifle-561066/

And where the heck does one buy chocolate Swiss rolls these days?

They've deconstructed them as caterpillars.

Excellent news that M&S still do a Swiss roll.

Thanks for these. Anything involving baking or making one's own custard etc is out - I want an assembly job!

I can't remember where I got this from but I add some of the liquid that maraschino cherries come in, along with sherry. Sponge, fruit, sherry and maraschino liquid ( which has an almond flavour), custard made with double cream, more cream on top with toasted flakes almonds. It always goes down a storm.

I always do:-

sponge fingers or trifle sponges
soak in sherry
jelly over top - whichever flavour you go for. I usually do strawberry or raspberry
fruit cocktail from tin
Then custard, usually do birds in a carton
then squirty cream all over
then decorate with banana slices and whatever else so silver balls etc

I think it’s best to stick with a classic recipe (don’t stint on sherry!)

But you could add eg tinned chopped pineapple, kiwi fruit, other tropical fruit and maybe add rum?

https://www.tastemade.co.uk/videos/tropical-rum-trifle-giant-layered-dessert/

I had Jamie Oliver one made with homemade jam mix and instead of custard it was a warm white chocolate, it was staggeringly delicious, will see if I can find it.

I never put sherry in mine because, although I like a glass of sherry I hate it in trifle. I do trifle sponges split and stuck back together with raspberry jam, fruit cocktail over the top, red jelly made with the juice from the fruit topped up with water, a tin or carton of custard and topped with loads of softly whipped cream and chocolate shavings or hundreds and thousands. It's a delicious, sloppy, unsophisticated homage to the 1970's (except then it would have been topped with Dream Topping and solid bird's custard made from custard powder).

My mum still makes solid custard ones - so delicious!

What kind of sherry is appropriate to use in a trifle but also nice to drink?

For trifle you need sweet or cream sherry. Harvey's Bristol Cream is usually on offer in the run up to Christmas, but supermarket own versions are equally good and probably cheaper anyway. It depends on your taste what you like to drink - you might prefer a medium or dry sherry then.

Anyone thinking of adding fresh fruit to jelly (jelly, in a trifle? Heathens!) don't use fresh kiwi or pineapple as they contain an enzyme which will prevent the jelly from setting if you're using a conventional, non veggie jelly. I'm not sure if the same is true with veggie jelly.

Black Forest Trifle always goes down well with adults and kids alike and is definitely an assembly job:
1 xPack of 4 double choc muffins - slice in 1/2 fit tightly in bottom of bowl
1 or 2 tins of Harleys Cherry pie filling - spread on top of muffins
Ready made custard
Plain cholate - melt this - cool it a bit and then mix in with the to make chocolate custard (I do tend to warm the custard 1st so the chocolate mixes a bit better with it.
Cream for whipping and spreading on top
Decorate with grated plain chocolate and some cherries if you can be bothered!
Its yum!

Thanks for the sherry tips.

@tealfish - that sounds great other than that I don't like cherry flavoured stuff (although I love fresh cherries). I know somebody who would love it though, so might make it at some point with a different small one just for me.

Pineapple and kiwi have no place in a trifle imo.