English Trifle Lesson

This afternoon the guys headed out to watch the Posh football match (that's the local team in town), so Sarah came over to teach Min and I how to make a proper English trifle.  Trifle's are very popular "puddings" or desserts in England.  They are the type of thing that you learn how to make from your mom and just know how to do as you grow up so she's never had a recipe just to give us.

Today she showed us two different ways to make a strawberry trifle.  First you put down a later of cut up trifle sponges filled with strawberry jam or you can cheat and buy a jam filled swiss roll and cut that up.   Addie wanted to get right into the fun!!!

You put down the layer of sponges down, then sprinkle in a bit of liquer (usually a brandy) but you don't have to put any in at all.  We did though!!!  Next topple in some strawberries.  Sarah likes to used canned strawberries because they are softer.  

Next we make up the "jelly" layer (which we call Jello in the States).  Here the full sugar jelly comes in these little cubes which are like very concentrated jello jigglers at room temperature.  You break up the cubes and add hot water.  Sarah told us that as a child she used to eat the cubes by themselves.  They are quite tasty.

One benefit of using the canned strawberries is that you can use the reserve juice for the cool liquid in the "jelly".

Then you pour the jelly on top and stick it in the fridge to set...usually a couple of hours.  

A few hours later when the boys got back, Sarah came back over and we mixed up custard for the next layer.  Now custard here is much different that what we typically think of it in the States.  Most of the time you serve it warm and pour it over your puddings.  This time we were making it to set up as our next layer in the trifle.  After the custard layer you top it all off with some fresh whipped cream.

It is very, very good and looks amazing in the trifle bowl that I got from my Pampered Chef Party.  Sad thing is that we ate all the trifle before I remembered to take a picture of it so you'll have to make your own to see what it looks like...or I guess I'll have to make it again sometime soon!