Classic Trifle With Berries Or Citrus Food

CLASSIC TRIFLE WITH BERRIES OR CITRUS

Steps:

• Make the custard: In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
• In a medium saucepan, heat cream, milk and any of the optional flavorings over medium heat until simmering.
• Slowly whisk 1/2 cup hot cream mixture into yolk mixture until well mixed. Whisking egg mixture constantly, slowly pour in remaining cream. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and place it over medium-low heat.
• Cook custard, stirring continuously especially around the bottom and edges of the pot, until the custard has thickened enough to mound on the spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Don't let it come to a boil, but a few simmering bubbles is fine. If it starts to curdle at any point, remove pot from the heat and whisk it intensely. It should smooth out.
• Once the custard is thick, scrape it into bowl, whisk in vanilla, and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto its surface. Let the custard cool for at least 30 minutes. At this point, custard can be chilled for up to 3 days, or used to assemble the trifle. Pluck out cinnamon stick or cardamom pods, if using, just before assembling trifle.
• Prepare the fruit: If using berries, put them in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar to taste, and use a fork to mash them. If using oranges, supreme them: Cut the tops and bottoms off each one, squeezing the juice from the severed pieces into a bowl. Using a paring knife, cut the peel and all the white pith off the fruit. Working over the bowl to catch the juices, slice the segments away from the membrane, letting fruit fall into the bowl. It's OK if the segments fall apart; you're going to break them up anyway. When all the segments are cut out of the membranes, squeeze the membranes over the bowl to release as much of the juice as possible. Sprinkle oranges with sugar, to taste, and, using your hands, break the segments up into pieces. You want a pulpy, juicy mix in the bowl. There should be a lot of liquid. Let oranges or the berries macerate for 20 minutes.
• To assemble the trifle, spread the ladyfingers on one side with a thick layer of jam or marmalade. Put the ladyfingers, jam-side down, in the bottom of a medium (6- to 8-cup) trifle dish or any other serving bowl or dish (or use individual dishes, cups or glasses). You want to cover the bottom completely and, if you are using a bowl, go a little bit up the sides; break up the ladyfingers if needed to make them fit.
• Sprinkle sherry (or whatever liquid you are using) over the ladyfingers, making sure they are well moistened. Be generous: You don't want any dry bits.
• Spoon fruit and all their juices over ladyfingers. Top with custard. If you like a higher cake-to-custard ratio, you can break up a few more ladyfingers and scatter them on top of the custard, then drizzle with more sherry. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
• When ready to serve, using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat the cream and confectioners' sugar until fluffy; it should hold a light peak. Spoon whipped cream on top of trifle and garnish as you like. Serve immediately. (Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days.)

OUTRAGEOUS LEMON BERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Stir 2 cups whipping cream, milk, lemon pudding mixes, and lemon juice in a large bowl until creamy and smooth. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
• Beat remaining 2 cups whipping cream in a bowl until foamy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the whipped cream will form sharp peaks.
• Layer half the angel food cake in a trifle bowl. Top with half the lemon pudding mixture, half the strawberries and half the blueberries. Spread half the whipped cream over the berries. Repeat the layers. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

CLASSIC TRIFLE

Steps:

• Put 750g frozen summer fruit in a pan with 200g caster sugar and 1 litre water and bring to a gentle simmer.
• Cook for 2 mins, then scoop out 6 tbsp fruit and 150ml juice. Now carry on cooking the fruit in the pan for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, soak 9 sheets leaf gelatine in cold water to soften it. If you have a hand blender, blitz the cooked fruit or mash with a potato masher, then strain through a sieve into a large bowl and push through the pulp so just the skins and seeds are left.
• Squeeze excess water from the gelatine, add to the hot fruit syrup and stir to dissolve. Cool, then chill until on the point of almost setting.
• Make the custard according to pack instructions with 75g custard powder, 1.2l milk and 50g caster sugar to create a really thick custard. Cover the surface with baking paper while it cools a little.
• Pile 1½ - 2 cubed madeira cakes into a trifle bowl, spoon over the reserved juice and berries, then 4 tbsp sherry or cassis.
• Pour over a thick layer of custard, pushing it against the side of the dish to seal in the cake below. Leave to cool and set with a skin - this makes a barrier for the jelly.
• When the custard is cold and set, and the jelly is on the point of setting, spoon the jelly over the custard and chill until ready to complete.
• Whip 300 - 450ml double cream with 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tbsp icing sugar until just holding its shape, then spoon round the bowl over the set jelly. Scatter with 2 crushed amaretti biscuits and chill until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE AND FRUIT TRIFLE

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter according to package directions; pour into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Crumble enough cake to measure 8 cups; set aside. (Save remaining cake for another use.) , In a large bowl, whisk the milk, water and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in the whipped cream. , To assemble, spread 2-1/2 cups pudding mixture in a 4-qt. glass bowl. Top with half the crumbled cake; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon orange juice. Arrange half the berries and kiwi over cake. , Repeat pudding and cake layers; sprinkle with remaining orange juice. Top with remaining pudding mixture. Spoon remaining fruit around edge of bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

CITRUS BERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Combine first 4 ingredients.
• Fold in cool whip.
• Place half of cake cubes in trifle bowl.
• Top with 1/2 of lemon mixture and 1/2 of berries.
• Repeat layers.

BERRY-CITRUS TRIFLE

Steps:

• In a glass bowl, whisk eggs, juice, zest and 1/4 cup sugar. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and set bowl over pan. (Bottom of bowl should sit above the water without touching it.) Cook egg mixture, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 20 minutes. Whisk in gelatin until fully dissolved. Remove bowl from heat; pour curd evenly among four 5-ounce serving glasses; refrigerate until solid, about 2 hours. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook berries with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, stirring occasionally, until berries break down, liquefy and start to bubble, about 10 minutes. In a bowl, strain one third of hot berry mixture; add cornstarch and whisk until fully dissolved. Pour juice-cornstarch mixture into same saucepan; cook over medium-high heat until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped mint; let cool completely. Spoon berry sauce evenly over curd. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24; remove from fridge 30 minutes before serving; garnish with mint sprigs.

CITRUS TRIFLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Juice the blood orange and pour into liquid measuring cup. Add enough water to come up to just below the 1/2 cup mark.
• In a medium bowl, add cake mix, egg and the juice/water and blend at medium speed for two minutes. Pour into a greased 8X8 or 9 inch round cake pan.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
• While cake is cooking and cooling, mix vanilla instant pudding with 3 cups milk and then refrigerate. Clean and core strawberries and then cut into quarters. Place strawberries in medium bowl and add the raspberry preserves. Mix to combine.
• Assembly:.
• In a trifle bowl, add half of the cake, which you have broken up into pieces. Layer on half of the pudding, 1/2 of the strawberries and 1/2 of the whipped topping. Repeat layers. Could garnish with some strawberries or blood orange slices.

LEMON-BERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Beat pudding mixes and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in chocolate and half (about 1-1/2 cups) of the COOL WHIP.
• Crumble 3 cookies; reserve for garnish along with 1/4 cup of the strawberries. Place 6 of the remaining cookies in single layer on bottom of trifle dish; top with layers of 1/3 each of the pudding mixture and remaining strawberries.
• Cover with layers of half each of the remaining cookies, pudding mixture and remaining strawberries; repeat layers. Top with remaining COOL WHIP.
• Refrigerate 1 hour. Top with reserved strawberries and crumbled cookies just before serving. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

CANADA DAY THREE BERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Place cake cubes in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Stir raspberry gelatin and 1 cup boiling water together in a large measuring cup until dissolved; stir in 1 cup cold water. Pour raspberry gelatin mixture over cake cubes; press down. Spread raspberries evenly over top of gelatin; place trifle in refrigerator to chill until set, about 45 minutes.
• Whisk 1 package pudding mix and 2 cups cold milk together in a bowl for 2 minutes. Spread pudding over raspberries in trifle bowl; return trifle to refrigerator to chill until pudding sets, about 45 minutes.
• Stir cherry gelatin and 1 cup boiling water together in a large measuring cup until dissolved; stir in 1 cup cold water. Pour cherry gelatin over pudding in trifle bowl; spread cherries over gelatin. Return trifle to refrigerator to chill until gelatin sets, about 45 minutes.
• Whisk remaining package pudding mix and 2 cups cold milk together in a bowl for 2 minutes. Spread pudding over trifle; chill until pudding sets, about 45 minutes.
• Stir strawberry gelatin and 1 cup boiling water together in a large measuring cup; stir in 1 cup cold water. Pour strawberry gelatin over pudding; spread strawberries over gelatin. Return trifle to refrigerator to chill until completely set, about 1 hour.
• Spread whipped topping over trifle; garnish the top with reserved berries.