Trifle Author: Michelle Keogh

Extract

The trifle is thought to date back to the Renaissance and originally consisted of boiled cream with various ingredients added to it, such as sugar, ginger and rose water. The first known recorded trifle recipe was in The Good Huswifes Jewell in 1585 and many of the recipes that followed in the seventeenth century mainly comprised spiced and sweetened cream. Gradually the dish evolved, with rennet being added to thicken the cream and crushed macaroons or comfits added for decoration and texture. By the middle of the eighteenth century, the trifle began to resemble those we recognise today. In 1747, Hannah Glasse, in her book The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy, gave a recipe for a Grand Trifle that included Naples biscuits, ratafias (almond-flavoured biscuits) and macaroons soaked in sack (similar to sherry) with custard poured over them and then topped with a syllabub. Cream eventually replaced the syllabub and the modern trifle was born.

Trifles are usually made in large glass bowls so that the beautiful layers can be seen, but can also look spectacular in individual serving glasses. There is some debate as to what should go into a trifle, and many variations exist. Trifles usually begin with a layer of cake or biscuit soaked in spirits or jelly, with jam, fruit, custard, cream, and then whatever decoration you like. Everyone has their favourite version, and recipes are easily adapted to suit individual tastes. In fact, the only thing that can be agreed upon is that trifles are a delicious and attractive dessert and the perfect end to any meal or celebration.

The recipes in this book are all variations on the above ingredients, and quantities can be easily doubled or tripled to feed a crowd. As you become more familiar with making trifles, feel free to make substitutions and additions – you'll only be limited by your imagination.