Kitchen Chick

IMBB #8: English Trifle

IMBB #8 rule: use wine or spirits as a central component of your recipe.

Oh the possibilities! As I contemplated this pleasant prospect, my husband Joe said, "You're making the trifle, of course." Uh, no. The thought had crossed my mine, but I had thought I'd do a Bolognese meat sauce cooked with white wine. Or maybe that wonderful tomato, red wine, and bacon sauce. "K's birthday party is tomorrow," he added. Yeah..? "And think of the pictures you can post for IMBB."

Ten years ago I attended a cooking class on custards. Custards, you see, are my favorite food. If it's got eggs, sugar, and milk or cream, I'm all for it. Creme brulee, flans, custards, bread puddings — bring it on, baby! The piece de resistance of the class was this trifle. I was so impressed that I immediately bought the glass bowl and 8" round cake pans. I wanted to make it as the center piece of our Holiday Party dessert table. In fact, I didn't buy just any glass trifle bowl. I bought the glass bowl used for the class. It came with half a trifle, after all. (the other half having been served out to the attendees) How could I resist?

So yes, I bought a glass bowl for the sole purpose of making a trifle exactly once a year. (Okay, this year it gets used twice.) For the last ten years, I've been making this trifle for our annual Holiday Party. In this glass bowl.

(I also own a lot of kitchenware that hasn't been used in many years, but that's a different issue.)

This trife takes two days to make. And it's worth it! I promise. Don't be scared off! I always make it from scratch. I never buy pre-made cakes or curds or custards. Never. You can, if you like, but if you do, then don't claim that you made this trifle.

Trifle Attack Plan
Day 1: cook the various parts: cake, custard, lemon curd. Assemble trifle if you can so it can chill overnight.

Day 2: Assemble trifle, if not done the previous day. Chill it for 6-12 hours. Finish the top layer and garnish.

I will start with the assembling instructions first followed by the recipes for the individual parts.

Assembling the Trifle
1 recipe Basic Stirred Custard (around 3 cups)
1 recipe lemon curd (around 2 cups)
pound cake or sponge cake in 8" rounds
6 Cups mixed berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sherry
1/4 cup brandy or cognac
whipped cream
fresh berries and mint for garnish
1 trifle bowl (mine is 8" wide) or a 2.5 quart bowl or 6-8 individual bowls

My trifle has up to six layers. The one I did for IMBB has four layers because I used rather thick layers of berries.

1) Lightly season the berries with the sugar. Frozen berries thawed out will make for a "wetter" trifle; fresh berries will make for a "drier" trifle.

2) Cut cake into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices. (See cake recipe for additional tips.)

3) Combine sherry and brandy.

4) Bottom layer: Spoon a thin layer (1/4 inch) of lemon curd on the bottom. Top with a thin layer of custard (1/4 to 1/2 inch). Add a cake layer. Douse the cake with the alcohol. (Don't be too stingy with the spirits. The more the merrier! If you want a strong alcohol taste, you may need more than the 3/4 C.)

5) Subsequent layers: Spread a thin layer of lemon curd over the cake. Add a layer of berries. Add a layer of custard. Top with a layer of cake. "Sprinkle" with alcohol. Repeat until bowl is full. End with an alcohol-soaked cake layer on top.

6) Cover and refrigerate for 6-12 hours (or overnight). The longer the better!

7) To serve: You should have at least some curd and/or custard leftove. Add a layer of lemon curd and/or a layer of custard on top. Top with fresh berries and whipped cream. Garnish with mint if desired. Stand back and admire. Then dig in!

Custard, Lemon Curd, and Pound Cake recipes in extended post.

Photos:
Okay, it's cheap alcohol, but hey, the alcohol is being eaten, not drunk. I like the fruit-flavored brandy for the trifle, but ordinary brandy is just fine too.

All the parts assembled and ready to go: trifle bowl, baster, spoons, spatula, lemon curd, custard, fruit, and cake.

Trifle layer number one — adding the fruit:

A spot of sunlight lights up the bowl as I douse the cake with the brandy and sherry.

IMBB #7: You're Jus the Cutest Little Dumpling

The 7th edition of Is My Blog Burning? will be hosted on August 22, by Jarrett of food porn watch fame. If the title wasn't clue enough, the theme is dumplings.

Is My Blog Burning #6 Summary

Life conspired once again to prevent my participation. I injured my back on Thursday doing, of all things, Tai Chi. (How?, one asks. I don't know. But it hurt. A lot.) So I spent the weekend lying on my back with legs raised or in a lot of pain. Ugh. I had planned a lovely spread of things I had never cooked before, and... well... I still haven't cook them. :-) C'est la vie. Better luck next time.

But you can read about IMBB #6 at the host site: Too Many Chefs: IMBB #6.

Is My Blog Burning #6

I learned about IMBB several "editions" ago, but in spite of swearing repeatedly that I wouldn't miss the next one, I've missed every one of them. Until now. I finally have advance notice of the next IMBB. Too Many Chefs is hosting the sixth edition of Is My Blog Burning. The theme is BBQ and grilling. Not my best area, but that just means it'll be a challenge.