The Covered Dish - Berry Trifle

Ervin and I just returned from taking my dad, Jerry, back to Northeast Missouri. It was a very fast turn-around, however, we had 2 wonderful weeks together. We enjoyed going out to eat, new recipes from my kitchen and lots of fried green tomatoes! There was also an evening of cruising on the lake.
Every time my dad is here I think about another dish he would enjoy. He may have to wait to enjoy this one, perhaps in September I’ll get the chance.
Trifles can be so unique, and also extremely refreshing. I’ve included quite a bit of history on this adaptable dessert. You name the season, you can make a trifle.
It can be fancy or super simple. One of my favorites is my pumpkin and gingerbread trifle. There’s still plenty of warm days ahead to feature a cool and refreshing berry dessert.
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.