Favourite dishes dominate the food table and my mother's TRIFLE is the most popular desert by far.
Ingredients
2 packets x 300g frozen raspberries or about 600g fresh raspberries
Extra raspberries for decorating (optional)
175 - 200g ready-made sponge cake
Approximately 125 ml sweet sherry
Approximately 800 ml - 1 litre of custard
300 ml pure cream (whipped softly)
Place 300g raspberries in the bottom of the glass serving dish.
Using a wooden spoon, puree the other 300g raspberries by passing through a nylon sieve (this is made easier if you use some of the sweet sherry to moisten the berries).
Put the sponge cake on top of the berries and then combine the raspberry puree and sweet sherry. Carefully spoon this mixture over the sponge so that it is well moistened.
While this is soaking in, make the custard and allow it to cool. Once cool, whisk a spoonful or two of whipped cream into the custard to lighten it.
Spoon the cool custard over the soaked sponge.
Put the trifle in the fridge to settle before topping with whipped cream.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
If using frozen raspberries to decorate, place them onto kitchen paper in a single layer to absorb the moisture - this will stop the colour coming out into the cream.
Decorate the top of the trifle just before serving.
Method
NB CUSTARD
In Elizabethan times, a trifle was made with syllabub - a mixture of fresh milk and sweet wine. 'Proper' custard followed later made with double cream and eggs. Today, there are several ready-made custards available that you could use. However, I still like to make up the one using custard powder, milk and sugar (follow instructions on packet). Whisk it smooth and add a little whipped cream as suggested in the recipe when cold.
My family likes this recipe because it is not too sweet - it's very much a grown up trifle. You could sandwich the sponge with raspberry jam if you desire but please NO JELLY!
If I can get them, I also like the addition of ratafia or amaretti biscuits soaked with the sponge for texture and that almond flavour.
Lightly toasted flaked almonds (cooled) can be an alternative decoration to raspberries on top of the cream.
I like to leave a trifle in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 hours to allow the flavours to develop. It could easily be made the day before so this makes it a great party desert.
Considering how popular this desert still is, I find the name 'trifle' misleading. This is hardly a desert of 'little importance' especially as it has lasted the test of time - long may it continue!