English Trifle

English Trifle

BRITISH FOOD

Flapjacks, caramel chocolate squares, ginger malt bread, Christmas pudding,

minced meat pies and gooseberry ones in hot custard are just a few of Britain’s favorites. 

But I must not forget the wonderful trifles prepared each Sunday by lovely families that would have us for dinner.

Food, I adore food, but only the exquisite, well done.Yes, you must let yourself be a little hungry to get the full effect.
                                                                                                        Lily Ann Graff


Another English recipe, Trifle.  This is as popular in England as Apple Pie is in the US.  English love this dessert made of custard, sponge cake, jelly and cream.  The first time in history that we know about this dessert is in 1596 in a book published "The good huswife's Jewell" by Thomas Dawson.  This one consisted of a thick custard with Rose water,ginger and sugar.  Sixty years later milk was added and liquor  to the sponge cake.  This later recipe is the one that has come to us in these days with added modifications like layers of gelatin and fruit.  The earliest know recipe that we know with gelatin is from 1747.  The poet Oliver Wendell  Holmes mentioned  trifles that contained jelly in1861.  Today it remains  true to the homes of every English family that I have visited in the two years of daily interaction as a missionary in England.
There are different variations of the recipe.  I will share two.

Ingredients
 2 or 3 Bananas
 One small bag frozen raspberries
 One package lemon jello
 One package raspberry jello
 One package sponge cakes or
 Half a pound cake  ( you can buy it or make a small pound cake)
 Vanilla custard recipe
Heavy whipping cream
chocolate flakes or almonds for garnish

You will follow the directions on how to make the lemon jello.   Once done you place slices of bananas evenly and the frozen raspberries previously cooked for 8 min. with 1/3 cup of sugar.
Cool and refrigerate till firm.
Follow the directions of the raspberry jello, then add this mixture to the set lemon jello and add slices of the sponge or pound cake evenly so that it will look attractive.  Cool and refrigerate till firm.
Make one recipe of a vanilla custard ( you use if you want a recipe of Bird's English custard).  When done spread evenly on top of the two jellos that are already firm.  Let cool and refrigerate.
By now you should have a total of three layers.  You will finish the recipe by whipping till stiff some heavy cream.  Place this last layer on top and garnish with chocolate flakes or toasted almonds and serve.