How do I make a trifle?

[Itcanwait]

This will be my first ever attempt so a simple one please!!

TIA

god i love tinned fruit, especially in a trifle. it was exotic in the 70s

Nigel Lawson, Moondog, a banana, a trifle and a tin of fruit cocktail - the mind boggles!

tinned strawberries are the devil's work and i don't think trifle's should have jelly really but i am a total trifle snob.

I'm even making some ridiculous caramel hazelnut thing courtesy of sarah raven to crush and sprinkle over the top of mine - i am clearly mad.

Sponge fingers at bottom.

Small amount of booze on top of sponge fingers.

Sliced bananas next.

Massive layer of whipped cream on bananas.

Custard on top.

Smashing .

tinned strawberries are the devil's work and i don't think trifle's should have jelly really but i am a total trifle snob.

I'm even making some ridiculous caramel hazelnut thing courtesy of sarah raven to crush and sprinkle over the top of mine - i am clearly mad.

ooh still at bananas, but never liked banana custard either. love the sound of caramel hazelnut thing tho'.

where do we stand on hundreds and thousands instead of flaked almonds?

I used to make a reduced port syrup to pour on top of mine - I stopped doing it when friends came and all the children had double helpings of trifle, followed by headaches!

Honestly bananas are so much tastier in trifle than anything else. Go on and try it...

hang on, custard on top of cream??

Forgot the almonds on the top, and maybe some glace cherries.

Ooops, sorry you are indeed correct, custard then lashings of cream on top .

i thought that was a bit daring egg

Yep I think the custard would be too heavy and slip on down through the cream and ruin the aesthetics if I tried it the wrong way round .

I don't think 100s and 1000s acceptable in this day and age. Sorry.
Jury still out on silver balls, it has to be said.

No to silver balls - they hurt my teeth.

there is something undeniably 70s about trifle tho', isn't there. hence the hundreds and thousands. not sure about silver balls, they get stuck in me teeth

there was a good trifle recipe in the telegraph mag yesterday.. the cake was spread with rasp jam, sandwiched together then cut up and placed in the bowl...it suggested lightly cooking rasps so they ooze juice and after the cake has soaked up all the booze then you spoon over the rasps plus the juice , also the recipe involved vanilla extract in the custard and mixing a spoonful of the whipped cream in the custard...

I like bananas in my trifle, but no jelly... fresh cherries, cutting them in half and stoning them, causes very stained finger nails... I make my trifle on xmas day and usually put lots of pomegranate as the topping.... I love trifle

First there?s a layer of ladyfingers, then a layer of jam, then custard, then raspberries, more ladyfingers, then beef sauteed with peas and onions, then a little more custard, and then bananas, and then I just put some whipped cream on top!

resolution: must type quicker

squashy sweet banans along with softy cream an d sweet custard?

I wouldn't. A slightly tart fruit works very well. Toasted almonds an dglace cherries the best bit

lolol, i like the idea of okra on the bottom

hundred adn thousands don;t work too well as the softy cream makes the colours run and softens the texture of the sprinkles.

Nobody over 12 really likes silver balls

Oh yes, madly 70s.Important to remember that not all that food was shit though.I have my mother's entire collection of Cordon Bleu cookery course from v early 70s and food is brilliant.

yes indeed moondog but the pictures in those books are mad, aren't they!

silly Q - if I add gelatin (sp?) to my custard, will that help avoid the sloppyness? Will it set it, or will it taste foul. Because custard never SETS properly, not like it is in a shop bought trifle, does it?