Trifle

A quick Allyson Gofton trifle

Spread half a double sponge with rasp jam and place in base and up sides of large serving bowl.
Pour over half cup sherry, a splash more won't hurt.
Spread well drained fruit of your choice over (she used 410gr tin fruit salad)
Whip 300mls cream to soft peaks form and blend half the whipped cream with 600ml carton of prepared custard. Spread evenly over the fruit and sponge.
Spread remaining whipped cream over top of custard and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.Decorate with grated chocolate

I use the 'Icecream Pudding'recipe from the Edmonds book for my custard and sprinkle jelly crystals on the top of the cream or even just the custard if you dont want cream.

The key to a good trifle custard isthe vanilla - best to use a vanilla pod - stripping the seeds out and putting them into the custard.otherwise a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract - not that essence stuff.

The key to good trifle custard in our house is using Birds custard powder - always has been, always will be - if there's no Birds there's no trifle.

I hope you haven't been eating'forever'

Until 2009 many Bird's products, such as its instant custard powder, contained hydrogenated vegetable oil,[2] a product now banned in some countries due to health concerns relating to heart disease. Since then all Bird's custards have moved to non-hydrogenated vegetable oil.[3]

My mum worked for them, her dad worked for them, my grandma and her sisters worked for them so yes, I've been eating Birds custard since I was a child.None of us have any heart problems but I'm not talking about the instant custard powder anyway.

That;s good - I've had it and I liked it - in the days when it perhapswasn't that healthy when I was young andflatting in Yorkshire, of all places - but I did learn how to make the world's best Yorkshire Pudding . But it is a bit different from the traditional egg yolk custard (Birds I mean)- itwas invented by Mr Bird because his wife was allergic toegg yolk - it is a cornstarch-based thickener . I spotted some the otherday at the UKGrocer in Orewa and was almost tempted to grab some as it is as easy as to make./

Yes I know that - he also "invented" powdered egg which was used a lot during war time and also on expeditions to the Arctic circle - they actually sell it in most Countdowns now.I can make "real" custard but don't bother because my family all love Birds - I guess it's in the genes.

Our family favorite which we all love and all make is very simple:
Almond & Sherry Trifle.
Trifle sponge, red jam - we always use plum for the flavour, sherry, home made custard, whipped cream and slivered almonds.
Cut the sponge thru ways or sandwich two together with a good layer of jam. Cut into small squares nothing too precise but about 2.5cms square. Arrange pieces tightly together around dish. Sprinkle with a reasonably generous amount of sherry.
Custard: pint of milk (old recipe!) 600mls, it needs to be whole milk (blue), 2 eggs beaten with a teaspoon of vanilla or almond essence, 1 rounded tablespoon sugar, 5 tablespoons cornflour.
Mix a little of the milk with the cornflour and heat the rest in a double boiler until bubbles start to form just around edges. Remove from heat and whisk in cornflour mixture. Place back on heat and stir for a few minutes to thicken. Using an electric beater slowly add beaten eggs and essence. Cook again stirring to thicken. Remove custard from heat and leave to cool with lid on pot.I usually stir it every now and then to stop a skin from forming on top. When cool pour over sponge. Decorate with whipped cream and sprinkle with slivered almonds.
You may want to add a little more sugar but we find the custard sweet enough when eaten together with the sponge part of the trifle.
This can be made the night before with the whipped cream being put on the day it is to be served.

Quotenzhel (51 )11:58 am,