Trifle

I love Delia's Caramelised Orange Trfifle for a spcial occasion - have done it for several Christmas Days and it has always gone down well! Rather fiddly and takes patience, but its so worth it!

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/desserts/trifle/caramelised-orange-trifle.html

I inherited my MiL's cut glass trifle bowl which was a wedding present to her in 1932. At a family gathering last year I picked it up to carry it to serve from, at the dining table and with no warning it shattered in my hands. I had one small cut but looked as if I had been in an abattoir, covered in red juice from a mix of fresh raspberries and strawberries.

According to the internet it is apparently not an uncommon occurrence and is something to do with sound waves.

DD was pretty miffed as she expected to inherit it in her turn as a memento of the Gran she never knew.

Lovely pics of trifle bowls on here.I used to have my Grandma's dish which was a wedding present to them in 1920. Much like yours Greyduster but I gave it to DD1 a few years ago, and she uses it as a fruit bowl ( which I suppose was it's real purpose anyway.) Amazing how all this glass has survived intact the rough and tumble of family life.

I make it like my mother before me and it's always requested at extended family gatherings. Sliced Swiss roll soaked in sherry, tinned raspberries or strawberries . Use minimum amount of boiling water to melt jelly and top up with fruit juice from tin. Just enough jelly to cover cake - don't like too much. Strawberry or raspberry blancmange then when set topped with whipped cream and decorated with whatever : 100s and 1000s , glacé cherries, left over raspberries, crushed milk flake sprinkled on etc( not all of these at once!) Nowadays I prefer to use fresh raspberries or strawberries but do miss the extra juice in the jelly. Also can't always get cheap jam Swiss roll now so have to get trifle sponges and spread with jam - not as nice. Left over jelly in little dishes usually wolfed up by the children. Recently my DiL wouldn't let the children eat it because of sherry so have to miss it out when they are there!

We had a particularly hectic day yesterday and because I hadn't had time to make a pudding, DH was despatched to the supermarket to get something. He came back with a lovely looking trifle which, it turned out, was mostly cream. There was the merest suggestion of cake, frozen strawberries and meringue, with fresh strawberries on top, but no custard - just A LOT of cream. Not a trifle though. Here is my mum's trifle dish. You could float a battle ship in it and it doubles as a salad bowl for parties!

HettieCan you get ratafias nowadays? I haven't seen them around but then DH does the shopping.

When my children were small and I was pushed for time I used to make a quick trifle with sliced chocolate Swiss roll black cherries in syrup chocolate angel delight then cream topped with grated chocolate never any complaints from hungry boys

Ratafias every time. Sprinkling of white port (or sherry). Raspberries. Vanilla custard, made partly with cream. Top layer of whipped cream. Sprinkled well at last minute with roasted flaked almonds. Heavenly.

My dear late m-in-l made amazing trifles. She made one for my daughters christening 36 yrs ago. She brought it to our house covered in cling film minus the cream topping which she intended to apply later. Unfortunately after a couple of whiskeys she started to spread the cream topping but left the cling film on. Oh how we laughed!!

Here is my late dear mothers trifle dish probably 50+ years old.

My favourite trifle, sponge often homemade, with mango puree pored over and left overnight in the fridge,, layer of fresh or tinned mango depending on the season, Birds custard made with milk and some cream stirred in when cooling, a layer of whipped cream, then decorated, usually with a grated chocolate. Sorry no booze or jelly.

My mother used to make us Bird's trifle from the packet which was a great treat and a change from tinned mandarins and evaporated milk or refrigerated Ambrosia Creamed Rice from a tin with jam.

I make trifle as follows: sponge fingers soaked with Harvey's Bristol Cream, layers of raspberries, proper custard made with milk and eggs but sweetener rather than sugar and topped with whipped double cream and sprinkles of nuts. Yum.

I'd still give the Bird's five stars though.

When my kids were young I made trifle regularly with various fruits - usually either frozen berries or tinned fruits. Sliced swiss roll for the base with sherry, then fruit, then either custard or blancmange with whipped double cream on top and decorated with more fruit or chocolate shavings. Never used jelly. I recently made one when my son was home for a weekend and he got quite nostalgic over it. I need to make it more often again. It's great with raspberries and chocolate blancmange but haven't done that in ages.

raspberries with white chocolate.................no jelly just juice and a little booze

Thanks coolgran - I'm definitely putting Ambrosia custard on my shopping list

*Indinana' the Ambrosia custard def works, nothing sinks into it. I've also used Asda carton custard. The only waiting time is if you're using;k two diff flavour jellies, waiting until the bottom sets and making sure the second jelly is cold before pouring it in.

That looks beautiful annsixty. I bet when your grandmother, or whoever, bought this she would have had no idea that it would still be in use in the 21st century!

Coolgran your trifle recipe sounds droolingly delicious. Certainly worthy of ann's heirloom trifle dish! I'm intrigued though that you manage to lay cream and decorations on top of a custard that isn't set . I would have expected them to sink into the custard. Certainly easier, as there's no faffing about waiting for the custard to cool to the right temperature to poor on top of the jelly without melting it. I shall have to try it!

I had to hunt for my family trifle dish but here it is and at least 120 years old but sans trifle

Oh dear, love the sound of all the ingredients but not together - I just can't bear trifle - obviously a genetic fault.

I used to make the occasional trifle, of the non-boozy no-jelly variety my Mum made. Swiss roll (the one with jam only inside), soaked in the juice from the tin of fruit cocktail which went on top and then the custard. On a good day she would top it with double cream but sometimes she used Dream Topping!

I loved it and would like to make it now but I'm the only one who likes it so would have to eat it all myself

A couple of times I have made this Lorraine Pascale trifle, but without the alcohol. It was a great hit with children and adults. I bought the glass dish specially, whch makes it very attractive. www.mummypages.co.uk/recipes/my-big-fat-tipsy-trifle

Odd isn't it, I start what I though would be a serious thread about Fredom of Information, not a single reply.
Start a thread about trifle and it's sensory overload.

Now we know what is most important to GNers -- their stomach

Sensory overload.....I'm feeling slightly queasy reading these posts!
Just might have to try some of these recipes soon though ???

coolgran65that is a trifle to end all trifles! I am positively drooling

Indinana the tinned custard doesn't set like Birds but it still works very well. I use Ambrosia but don't know how the consistency of other other brands may vary.

of Mascarpone that should be