With the 4th of July quickly upon us it’s time to think about inviting family and friends over for the celebration. Since I work that day, it’s going to be a simple gathering this year. When we think about the current heat something cold and fruity sounds awfully good. A trifle can showcase the strawberries and blueberries that are so delicious this time of year. However on the flip side this recipe lends itself to multiple versions.
I’m headed down to Arkansas with the Public Relations team on the 25th of June. It is a pleasure to represent Silver Dollar City on KATV, channel 7, located in Little Rock. The time is not set in stone. Sometime around 9am I’ll be promoting Silver Dollar City and Branson. Three recipes will be presented, with the plan to demo one. You should be able to go to their website about 24 hours after airing and locate the spot.
So let’s jump into trifles, shall we. When trifles were first created they were absolutely saturated with alcohol. Here in America we don’t tend to do that too much. However, it is an alternative with the fruit that is used. Blueberries love amaretto and strawberries wouldn’t be too bad with Grand Marnier. What do I mean exactly? A good example would be to make a blueberry sauce and implement the amaretto inside the sauce. Since I want my trifle to work for a family setting I’m going to steer clear of the alcohol!
Inside this trifle we’ll rely upon fresh berries. There are also alternatives to this approach as I’ve indicated in the previous paragraph. The fruit can be made into a thickened sauce, if desired.
First I’m going to give you a rich recipe for a cream sauce to smooth on between the layers. If you overindulge with the sauce by the time you get to the top layer place a topping of whipped cream for the finale. The kind of cake that’s used can be store bought or scratch. Allow the cake to cool and cut it into 1 – 2 inch cubes.
Today I’ll use either an angel food, sponge, pound or white cake. When you design ‘your’ trifle you may want to go with a chocolate cake and a peanut butter filling! If you want a tropical take on a trifle use banana pudding and implement
Coconut, banana, pineapple, mango and cherries.
Once you lay a foundation with the cream filling you are off and sailing! The best part is how easy this is to construct once you reach your destination. Also consider using the trifle ingredients to construct individual parfaits. Cookies can also be used in place of cakes, especially in the parfaits.
Ok my friends, I’m off for now and on to another new dish. Enjoy the pleasures of summer. Simply yours, The Covered Dish. www.thecovereddish.com
Berry Trifle
Filling
1 box instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding (3.4 oz.)
2 cups milk of choice
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces whipped cream
Topping
8 ounces whipped cream or
Leftover filling and whipped cream
Fruit
16-24 ounces blueberries, stemmed and washed
24 ounces strawberries, washed, stemmed and quartered
(Leave one large berry to fan out on the top for décor.)
(You may desire to prepare the strawberries and sprinkle 1/4-1/3 cup of sugar over them. Allow to set a few hours and you’ll have a nice juice to include.)
Cake
Cook’s choice: White cake, angel food, sponge cake, pound cake……..
Cut cake into 1-2 inch cubes. Each layer will need 2-3 cups of cake depending upon the size of the trifle bowl.
Directions:
Prepare pudding according to box directions. In a glass bowl soften cream cheese in the microwave, blend smooth, stirring in the powdered sugar. After the pudding has set for at least 4 minutes combine the cream cheese mixture to the pudding. Lastly using a rubber spatula blend the whipped cream into the mixture. Sometimes a metal spoon is a bit too heavy and it can knock down the whipped cream. Turn the ingredients together with a gentle hand. If the filling is thicker than you desire add a couple tablespoons of milk or cream to thin.
Cube the cake and place the first layer in the bottom of the trifle bowl. Sprinkle a portion of the strawberries and blueberries over the cake. Layer a covering of filling over the fruit. Time for the next layer. Repeat just like the first. “IF” you need more filling for the final layer and you’ve run out place 8 ounces of whipped cream on the top. Garnish with a fanned out strawberry and a sprig of mint.
