cooking @ home

No sense delving into the difference between a trifle and a parfait as I have already done that previously when I made the Pear Parfait. Another thing, these really are pretty easy to make and can come in such a variety of combinations.

Since the last time when I did the Pear Parfait, I did go out and get an actual trifle bowl with several small desert dishes. I knew I had a big party coming up and in an effort to make it a bit easier with all the dishes I was making, I figured, correctly, a trifle would make for a low-effort but big-wow-factor ending to the meal.

Quick aside: When your having a party, you know you want to pull out all the stops. At the same time, you keep hoping or planning to make things so that you can enjoy your party yourself a bit. So making a trifle is a nice way to take some of the difficulty out of it

I did glean a tip or two from this though which, natch, I’ll share with you. First, you want to make sure things don’t “fall” as much as possible between the layers, so I definitely let the pudding set as opposed to making it and putting it right in. Next, things will fall. Whipped cream especially, both inside from the weight atop it, and even on the top of the trifle, just because that’s the nature of whipped cream. Don’t feel bad is the tip. It happens. When, as with the pudding, you can do something toward controlling it, do so. And when you can’t control it, as with the whipped cream, don’t fluster over it.

The other tip here I can offer is. Well, I made a mistake in not realizing just how big this bowl was. I had never used it before, it was new, and I hadn’t had anything like this previously, so when it came to things I badly misjudged at times. I had plenty of pound cake. I had plenty of whipped cream. I might have, had I known the pudding would fill up a single layer, in retrospect purchased a second one and been able to make another layer. Though it worked fine with the one.

It was with the berries that I had woefully under estimated. Even when I “stole” more from a second package, I basically ended up with half of what I truly needed. So what’s a cook to do? Creative “fudging”. For the middle layer, I placed the berries on the outside so folks could see them through the trifle dish, and on the inside “core” of maybe a six inch circle I added more pound cake and whipped cream to the middle.

To account for the shortage, on the top of the trifle I did the opposite, putting the rest all in the middle, and then surrounding the outside “ring” of the cake with tons of whipped cream. In short, it looked like two full layers of berries, but if you had x-ray vision, you would have seen and outer ring in the middle, and the short center on top. hehe Yes, I’m evil I guess. Naw, seriously, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Now that I know, next time I’ll definitely buy double and do it right. In the recipe below I take account those two errors and give the “better” recipe.

Lemon Berry Trifle
©2007 Harry Kenney

ingredients:

2 pkgs instant lemon pudding
2 pkgs frozen mixed berries
1 spray can extra-creamy whipped cream
1 pound cake, cubed
triple sec
mint sprigs for garnish
sugar

Make the lemon pudding per directions and place in refrigerator for at least one hour to set up more firmly. Take a package of mixed berries — usually strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries — defrost. Taste; these are usually tart, but taste first. Mascerate with sugar as needed to achieve the level of sweetness desired.

Place 1/2 the pound cake cubes and place at bottom of trifle bowl. Add some triple sec on top lightly. Add half the pudding. Then half the berries. Then a third to a half of the whipped cream. Repeat. At this point you’re at the top of your trifle, and mix up as needed to decorate it. Use your imagination.

You might make this immediately before serving. Chances are you’ll make this a few hours ahead and serve it after folks have eaten the main meal, so yes, place in refrigerate and cover top lightly with plastic wrap. When you take it out, the layers will have settled downward. Don’t let fret over it. Save extra whipped cream to add to top immediately before serving. Maybe add some fresh mint sprigs for garnish. Again, your imagination. This can make anywhere from 18 to 24 servings.