- Two squares of chocolate
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Melt on low heat
- Stir in one cup milk
- Bring to boil
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Pinch salt
- Cooked to softball stage
- Pour onto marble slab or sheet pan
- Cool and Eat
Category: Desserts
Sweet Potato Pie
Quick Cake
- 1 C rice
- 1 C milk
- Rest 3 hours
- Blend
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 C canola or peanut oil
- 150 gm grated coconut
- 160 gm granulated sugar
- 200 ml condensed milk (2/3 C)
- 1 TBL baking powder
- blend
- greased bundt pan
- Bake 50 minutes @ 350
Dessert Casserole
- In a 9×9 glass baking pan add 1 C melted butter
- Combine 3 C self-rising flour, 1 C whole milk with 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 C sugar
- Add dough mixture to top of melted butter
- Sprinkle with 1/4 C sugar and 1/4 C cocoa powder
- Drizzle 1 C water over top
- Bake at 350º for 30 minutes
From What Can I Bring Cookbook by Elizabeth Heiskell
Apple Crisp
Can also use peaches, pears, etc
-
- Slice apples thinly
- Use: Granny Smith, Fuji, or Gala
- Not: Red and Delicious, they tend to become grainy
- A good tip is to use a melon baller – slices work just fine too
- Soak apple pieces in lemon juice water – Alt: Sprite – If you are not preparing right away
- Strain, but don’t pat dry
- Sprinkle with 1/4 C CinnaSugar PLUS 1 TBL sugar
- Slice apples thinly
TOPPING
-
- 1/2 C Flour
- 1/2 C Browm Sugar
- 1/2 C Quick cook oats (Instant)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 C COLD butter
- Cut together
-
- Dump topping onto apples
- Bake at 350 for 25 minutes
- Serve with ice cream or whipped cream
Instant Pot Cheesecake
Here are the Step-by-Step instructions on how to make an Instant Pot New York Cheesecake. From Pressure Cooker Recipes
Whole Process Consists of 4 Parts:
A. Make Crust
B. Make Cheesecake Batter
C. Pressure Cook Cheesecake
D. Cool, Chill, Serve Cheesecake
*Note: there are various optional steps in our recipe to satisfy your inner perfectionist. Feel free to skip those steps to save time. 🙂
Ingredients for Instant Pot New York Cheesecake #17
Crust
- 10 (120g) graham crackers, finely ground
- 3 – 4 tablespoons (42g – 56g) unsalted butter, melted
- A pinch sea salt
- 2 teaspoons – 1 1/2 tablespoon (8.3g – 19g) brown sugar (depending on your desired sweetness)
- Optional: ¼ cup (32g) all-purpose flour (For blind-bake crust)
Cheesecake Batter (7 inches x 3 inches)
- 16 ounces (454g) Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 cup (133g) white sugar
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
- 2 pinches sea salt
PREPARATION
16 ounces (454g) Philadelphia cream cheese
2 large eggs
½ cup (120g) sour cream
3 – 4 tablespoons (42g – 56g) unsalted butter
Place cream cheese, eggs, sour cream on counter-top to reach room temperature.
Then, melt the unsalted butter.
*Critical Tip: this is critical for your cheesecake’s success, so please please make sure all the above ingredients are at room temperature before you start. If not, you may end up with lumpy fluff top cheesecake. So don’t skip this step! 🙂
PART A
MAKE THE CRUST
Ground Graham Crackers
10 (120g) graham crackers
Food processor or Ziploc bag + Rolling pin
Finely ground the graham crackers in a food processor.
Or place the graham crackers in a Ziploc bag and roll them with a rolling pin.
Mix Crust Mixture
Finely ground graham crackers
A pinch sea salt
2 tsp – 1½ tbsp (8.3g – 19g) brown sugar
Small mixing bowl
Fork
In a small mixing bowl, mix finely ground graham crackers, sea salt, brown sugar together with a fork.
*Pro Tip: Why add sea salt? A small pinch of sea salt heightens the flavor of other ingredients. A secret ingredient in many restaurant-quality desserts. shh… 😉
Optional – Add Flour
¼ cup (32g) all-purpose flour
If you want a firmer & crisper crust, we recommend blind-baking the crust. We’ll discuss this in Step 7 below.
If you’re blind-baking your crust, mix in the flour at this step.
Mix in Melted Unsalted Butter
3 – 4 tbsp (42g – 56g) unsalted butter, melted
Mix in unsalted butter until the mixture sticks together.
Line Pan
7 inches x 3 inches Fat Daddio’s Cheesecake Pan (with removable bottom)
Line the side & bottom of the cheesecake pan with parchment paper for smoother sides & easier release.
*Note: We did not use any butter to line the parchment paper.
Form Crust
Graham cracker crumbs mixture, from above
Measuring cup/Spoon
Pour in the graham cracker crumbs mixture.
Gently press down the crumbs with a flat measuring cup, ramekin or Mason jar to form an even layer. You can also use a spoon for the edges.
In our blind taste test, the Method #2: Blind-Baked Crust was noticeably firmer and crisper compared to Method #1’s freezer version.
Method #1 – Freeze the Crust: Place the cheesecake pan in the freezer while you make the cheesecake batter.
Method #2 – Blind-Bake the Crust (for firmer & crisper crust): Place the crust in a 325°F oven for 15 minutes.
PART B
MAKE CHEESECAKE BATTER
*Critical Tip: We highly recommend using a Hand Mixer instead of a Stand Mixer. Stand Mixer is usually more powerful, thus you can easily overmix and introduce too much air into the cheesecake batter. This may result in a puffy souffle-style cheesecake.
*Note: Click on the Tabs to choose Method #1: Dense or Method #2: Creamy.
Chocolate Dip Berries
Strawberries, Large blueberries, Blackberries
- White chocolate
- Put into a glass bowl – put over double boiler
- Fresh vanilla bean
- Milk chocolate
- Put into a glass bowl – put over double boiler
- Espresso powder
- NOTE: Not too hot
- Hazelnuts into dry skillet – toast lightly
- Chop nuts
- Starberries into dark chocolate
- Blackberries in white, then hazelnuts
- Put into refrigerator for at least an hour
Buttermilk Donuts
WET INGREDIENTS
- 1 stick of butter (8 TBL) melted and browned (see below)
- 1 lemon – zest and juice
- 2 eggs + 3 egg yolks
- 1 TBL vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 3/4 C buttermilk
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 C almond flour
- 5 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 1/2 C packed brown sugar
- 4 C cake flour (AP flour, if you must)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground CinnaSugar
BROWN YOUR BUTTER
- Over medium heat melt your butter
- Let it simmer until the “sizzling” stops and the edges start to brown
- Don’t overcook it, or it will become bitter
COMBINE WITH WITH DRY
- Add 1/2 C dry (a bit at a time) into the wet until all in
- The dough should be about the consistency of Play Dough
- Wrap in Plastic and Refrigerate 2 hours (or overnight)
- Roll to 1/2 – 3/4 inch thickness
- Form either bars or donuts
- 1/2 inch bars
- 3″ donuts with 1″ hole in center
- Place on baking sheet
- Combine and re-roll scraps
- Put back onto sheet pan and refrigerate for another 30 minutes
- Using spider strainer or fish spatula, lower into fry at 350º (min 345º – max 360º) till browned and cracked. Flip occasionally.
- Wire rack to drain
- Dip into Glaze – both sides
- Drain on wire rack
GLAZE
- 2 C powdered sugar
- zest and juice from one lemon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 TBL Melted butter
- 2 TBL boiling water (ONLY IF NECESSARY)
– Glaze should be like thick syrup or cold honey
Apple Pie for Diabetics
Ingredients
- Pastry for double-crust 9-inch pie
- 1⁄3 cup + 11⁄2 Tbsp of zero-calorie Truvia Original Calorie-Free Sweetener Spoonable Jar***
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1⁄4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 8 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp butter
Directions
-
1. Roll out half of the pastry on a floured surface to 1 inch larger than inverted 9-inch pie pan. Ease pastry into pan.
-
2. Blend Truvía® Original Sweetener, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in small bowl. Sprinkle on apples and toss until coated. Add lemon zest and mix thoroughly. Arrange apple mix into crust. Cut butter into slices, place on top of apples.
-
3. Roll remaining pastry into circle large enough to cover inverted 9-inch pie pan. Place over apples, seal edges, trim and flute. Cut slits in top to allow steam to escape.
-
4. Bake at 400°F for 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden and apples are tender. Cool on wire rack.
Apple Turnover
Ingredients
8
Original recipe yields 8 servings
Ingredient Checklist
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups water
4 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Instructions Checklist
Step 1
Combine the lemon and 4 cups water in a large bowl. Place the sliced apples in the water to keep them from browning.
Step 2
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain water from apples, and place them into the hot skillet. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Pour into the skillet, and mix well. Cook for another minute, or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat to cool slightly.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Step 4
Unfold puff pastry sheets, and repair any cracks by pressing them back together. Trim each sheet into a square. Then cut each larger square into 4 smaller squares. Spoon apples onto the center of each squares. Fold over from corner to corner into a triangle shape, and press edges together to seal. Place turnovers on a baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.
Step 5
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until turnovers are puffed and lightly browned. Cool completely before glazing.
Step 6
To make the glaze, mix together the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Adjust the thickness by adding more sugar or milk if necessary. Drizzle glaze over the cooled turnovers.
Color Swirl White Chocolate Bark
- Melt 1 C white chocolate chips in the microwave
- Use four different colors of candy melts – Melt in microwave
- Pour white chocolate on a tray lined with parchment paper
- Drizzle the multi colors onto the white chocolate canvas
- Use toothpick, fork or knife to draw designs over the white
- Put into fridge to cool
Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake
- Mix the following dry ingredients
- 1 1/2 C AP flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- Put 8 TBL softened butter into mixer, then add
- 1/2 C granulated cane sugar (not beet sugar)
- 1/2 C brown sugar
- then add
- 2 very ripe bananas
- 2 eggs plus 1 yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- Mix to combine
- Mix in 1/2 of your flour mixture and mix until you have a batter
- Add 1/4 C buttermilk powder and the rest of the flour
- Fold together until it is mixed,but be careful to not overmix
- In a sauce pan combine
- 2 TBL butter
- 2 TBL rum
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 C brown sugar
- 1 TBL Grandpa’s CinnaSugar
- Heat until sugar melts
- Pour some into the bottom of a cast iron pan
- Slice 2 aged bananas into long slices and put in bottom of pan
- Mix 1 tsp vanilla with 2 TBL more dark rum
- Top bananas with dark rum and more sugar
- Put onto heat until the rum starts to sizzle
- Pour in the batter, then bake at 350º for 45-50 minutes
- Carefully remove the pan
- Loosen sides and invert onto a plate
- Serve hot
Cookies from Box Mix
Cake and Pancake mixes are simply flour, baking soda, salt and sometimes dried milk. Making cookies from a box mix is easy, if you can measure ingredients, you can bake cookies from box mix. You can use any kind of pancake mix or cake mix you have on hand and one of your favorite cookie recipes.
- 3/4 C box mix – Bistro sells Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix
- 3 TBL butter, slightly softened
- 1/4 C brown sugar – packed (or ¼ C granulated white sugar and 2 tsp molasses)
- 1 medium egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- scant salt
- OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
- ¼ C chunky peanut butter
- ¼ C raisins or Craisins
- ¼ C semi-sweet chocolate chips, chilled
- ¼ C walnuts, chopped
- Mix together sugar, salt, butter, vanilla and egg
- Add optional ingredients (chocolate, nuts, etc)
- Stir in dry pancake mix with a spoon just until combined
NOTE: Batter should be thick - Cover and put into the refrigerator for 20 minutes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut dough into 4, 6 or 8 pieces, depending on how big you want your cookies.
- Form into balls with your hands
- Put 3 TBL CinnaSugar in a bowl
(1/2 C each granulated sugar and cinnamon – scant nutmeg) - Roll dough balls in CinnaSugar to cover.
- Place cinnamon covered balls 4 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet
- Optional: Sprinkle with Maldon salt
- Press down only slightly
- Bake 10-12 minutes or until set.
- Remove hot cookies immediately from cookie sheet to cooling rack with spatula.
- Cool for at least 2 minutes before removing from baking tray, then enjoy.
Here is a combination as suggested by Arizona Your Life A-Z
- 1 box 16 oz cake mix
(or 15 oz mix plus 1/4 C flour or Bisquick for each ounce under 16) - 1/2 C Vegetable Oil
- 2 Eggs
- Plus sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts, etc
- 350º for 8-10 minutes
Biscuit Sticky Buns
-
- Cook Caramel
- 1 TBL butter
- 1 TBL water
- 1 1/4 C brown sugar
- Mix together till smooth
- 1/2 C heavy cream drizzled in while whisking
- Cook until starts to brown
- Meanwhile line a buttered glass baking dish with parchment paper
- Pour the caramel onto the parchment paper
- Sprinkle caramel with chopped pecans and set aside
- Mix 4 C Bisquick
- 1/3 C buttermilk powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Cut in 1 stick cold butter
- and enough cold skim milk to make a stiff dough
- Combine all quickly and flatten with a rolling pin
- Try to shape into a rectanble
- Top with softened butter, sugar, chopped pecans, CinnaSugar
- Roll up starting on the short side so you end up with larger rolls, do not start on the long side
- Trim off ends
- Cut into twelve one inch medallions and place on top of caramel
- Bake 375º for 30-35 minutes
- Turn pan over and carefully remove pan, then peel off parchment paper
Pumpkin Fluff
- 2 C pumpkin puree
- 1/3 C real maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 TBL pumpkin pie spice
- 2 C whipped cream
- mix to combine
- put into parfait cups (uncooked) and top with whipped topping, pecans and crushed ginger snaps
Carole Stubbs’ Cheesecake
This is hands down, the best cheesecake I’ve ever had. She brought three to a party, and I ended up eating half of one of them. I was soooo sick.
- 8 ounce package Philadelphia Cream Cheese (room temp)
- 1/3 C sugar
- 1 TBL light Karo
- 3 TBL sour cream
- 1 large egg
- zest and juice from two lemons
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Use my recipe for a graham cracker crust.
- Butter the sides and bottom of a baking pan. Ideally, use a springform pan
- Cut strips of parchment paper about 2 inches wide and place around sides of pan.
- Prepare graham crackers – press into BOTTOM ONLY of the baking pan (not the sides)
- Beat cream cheese, sugar and Karo
- Add egg and sour cream and beat
- Add lemon and vanilla and beat to incorporate
- Pour into prepared graham cracker crust
- Place the baking pan in the bottom of a large casserole dish, and fill the dish with about one inch of boiling hot water
NOTE: If using a springform pan (or any pan that may leak) wrap the baking pan with foil to isolate it from the water. - Lay foil lightly over top of the pan/dish
- Bake at 350º for 30 minutes
- Cool at least 2 hours before serving
- Top with fresh blueberries or lingonberry preserves
TOPPING OPTIONS
For the sour cream topping:
- 2 cups sour cream (475 ml)
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar (35g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the raspberry sauce:
- 12 ounces (340g) fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/2 cup water (120 ml)
Caramel Ganache
- 28 individually wrapped Kraft Caramel candies -Approximately 8 oz
- 3 TBL butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- Prepare an ice water bath for when the caramel is melted
- Bring whipping cream and butter up to 195º and add the caramel pieces and salt
- Stir until smooth
- Place the pan with the caramel mixture into the ice water bath and beat with an electric mixer, stopping to scrap down the sides
- This will take about 5 minutes but eventually the mixture will get creamy and thicken.
Pearl Tapioca
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 oz pearl tapioca
- 1 PT cold water
Soak overnight on the counter – not in the fridge - Put drained tapioca into sauce pan
- Add 2 1/2 C whole milk (not low fat)
- Add 1/2 C heavy cream and a pinch of salt
- Turn the heat on the absolutely lowest temperature you can possibly attain
- Let cook for 2 hours – it should get hot, but not even simmer
- Mix 1 egg yolk with 1/3 C sugar
- Temper hot liquid into your eggs, then back into the pot
- Mix in the zest and juice from one lemon
- Cook uncovered for 15 more minutes
- Cool on counter for 1 hour and serve warm
- If planning to cool, cover surface with plastic and refrigerate
Caramel Pie
Use a prepared graham cracker pie shell for this recipe
- 8 oz butter
- 1 C brown sugar
- 1/4 C heavy cream
Heat and melt first three ingredients
- Drizzle in 3 C whole milk and bring back up to heat
- In separate bowl combine 2 egg yolks, 3 TBL corn starch, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 C whole milk
- Temper 1 C of the hot mixture into the egg mixture
- Drizzle tempered mixture back into the pot, whisking continually
- Whisk until it thickens, then pour into your pie shell
- Refrigerate for at least an hour
- Meanwhile, beat 2 egg whites till they start to firm, then add 1/2 C confectioner sugar, scant salt, and 1 tsp vanilla
- Continue to beat until stiff peaks form
- Spread onto pie, making a bunch of little waves or peaks
- Broil for a few minutes, or torch to brown
Parnassienne au Chocolate
Christopher Gross’ Parnassienne au Chocolate Chocolate Tower
From Phoenix New Times: October 21, 2010
Chef Christopher Gross of Christopher’s Restaurant and Crush Lounge created his often-imitated Parnassienne au Chocolate Chocolate Tower: Nearly half a foot of a dark chocolate lattice over a white chocolate tube that envelops a chocolate mousse center.
Today he shares the recipe for his signature tower — the same one he shared with Julia Child on her PBS master chef series — so you can try your hand at chocolatiering at home.
Click through for the three-part recipe: Mousse, lattice, and espresso sauce.
Chocolate Mousse
(Serves 8)
What you’ll need:
5-½ oz. semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, sliced
¼ cup heavy cream
1-¼ cups egg whites (10 large)
4 Tbsp superfine sugar
What you’ll do:
1. Pour two inches of water into a saucepan and bring to a slow simmer. Set a stainless steel bowl on top of the pan, and add the chocolate and the butter. Stir occasionally as the chocolate melts; when smooth and lump-free, in about five minutes, remove and let the chocolate cool to room temperature.
2. Pour the cream into the stainless steel bowl set over ice and water. Beat by hand or with a portable beater, whipping in as much air as possible, until stiff peaks form.
3. Beat the egg whites to the soft peak stage; whip in two tablespoons of sugar; continue beating to stiff peaks form gradually adding the reminder of the sugar.
4. Whisk a quarter of the egg whites into the cool, melted chocolate, and then gradually add the rest. Fold in the cream quickly, deflating as little as possible.
5. Cut a piece of parchment paper into a rectangle 3-½ inches wide by 5 inches long. Form into a cylinder approximately 5 inches tall and 1-½ inches in diameter. Close the side with a piece of sticky tape and make sure that it stands up straight. Repeat to form 8 cylinders.
6. Fill a pastry bag with the mousse and pipe into the tubes, leaving a -½-inch space at the top. Drape the tops of the cylinders with a sheet of plastic and place in the freezer until frozen solid (approximately 1 hour).
Lattice
What you’ll need:
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, cut into pieces
6 oz. white chocolate, cut into pieces
What you’ll do:
1. For decorating the towers, cut eight 5-inch squares out of parchment paper.
2. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate over low heat.
3. Fill a decorating cone with some of the dark chocolate, and drizzle free form diagonal lines no more than 1/4 inch apart in a lattice pattern across each of the parchment squares. As each square is done, lay flat on one of the baking sheets.
4. When all squares are finished put the sheets in the freezer until the chocolate is set, or about 5 minutes. Reserve the remaining melted chocolate.
5. Melt the white chocolate over low heat.
6. Remove one dark chocolate lattice square from the freezer. And with the offset spatula, spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the white chocolate in a very thin layer on top of the lattice, leaving a 1-inch strip uncoated at one side. Scrape off any excess chocolate.
7. Unwrap one frozen mousse tower and lay it on top of the white chocolate, parallel to and opposite the uncoated strip. Quickly wrap the parchment around the mousse, handling as little as possible and being careful to leave the uncoated flap overlapping.
8. Return each finished tower to the freezer, immediately after wrapping in parchment. Repeating steps 6 to 8 until you’ve latticed all the mousse towers.
9. The papers may be peeled off after five minutes in the freezer, and the chocolate lattice will remain in place around the mousse.
10. Then let the mousse defrost in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Espresso Sauce
What you’ll need:
1-½ cups half and half (light cream)
½ fragrant vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
6 egg yolks
⅔ cup sugar
1 cup ILLY espresso coffee beans (2 oz.)
What you’ll do:
1. Heat the half and half with the vanilla bean, when almost at a simmer remove from the heat and cover the pan.
2. Meanwhile, start beating the egg yolks with the hand held mixer in the pan until thick and lemon-colored.
3. Gradually beat in the sugar, and then slowly blend in the ¼ cup of hot cream to warm the yolks. Blend slowly to minimize air bubbles.
4. Remove the vanilla bean from the remaining cream and blend the cream into the yolk mixture.
5. Pour in the espresso beans and set over low heat, stirring slowly and constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
6. Strain through the fine meshed sieve into a bowl and let cool. Serve warm, tepid or chilled.
Plate the chocolate tower plain or with fruit of your choosing. Then drizzle the espresso sauce over the components as desired.
This is one to bust out for dinner with the in-laws, your boss, a significant other, or anyone else you might be trying to impress. Can’t quite nail the presentation? Head over to Christopher’s instead.
(This is part three of our Chef Chat with Gross. Check out parts one and two for more about how he made the transition from picky eater to worldly chef and his foie gras battles.)
Trifle
SEE A SIMPLE RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
This is a very simple and elegant dessert. You can make a large trifle that will serve everyone, or individual dessert cup trifles.
A TRIFLE is a general category of recipe, kind of like “a casserole” – “a burrito” – or “a beverage.”
It simply describes a layered desert, usually with a cake layer, a pudding layer, a fruit layer and a few other layers thrown in for good measure.
I’ve included photos from other websites so that you can get an idea of what a trifle is, and create your own. You will see that the key is to maintain distinct layers. If you browse all of these GOOGLE IMAGES you will see that some trifles are not clearly labeled at all, which makes it not really a trifle.
CLICK ON AN IMAGE FOR AN ENLARGEMENT
A simple recipe that you can follow, if you want a no-fail first attempt.
SIMPLE TRIFLE
- First, decide if you want one large dramatic trifle to share, or individual trifles. You definitely want it to be clear glass though. Be very careful to not fill any layer too deeply, or you will run out of space.
- SPONGE LAYER: Traditionally you use Lady Fingers in a trifle, but you can buy angel food cake or use the recipe below and it will be just as tasty. You can also simply use Vanilla Wafers. Use a knife and cut prepared angel food cake into 1/2 to 1 inch slices.
- If you want to try to make your own sponge layer, here is a recipe for LADY FINGERS.
- If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, a single biscuit cutter is a good addition to your arsenal. Cut circles from the angel food cake. If they are too big for your container, cut them into geometric shapes and put them against the wall of your glass.
- PUDDING LAYER: Spoon pudding into the bottom of your glass to hold your sponge in place. Pudding can be from scratch or even a box instant pudding. Both will work well.
- COOKIE LAYER: You can use crushed Oreo’s or Graham Crackers. You can even use granola. The thing is that you want something with crumbly pieces to create a completely different texture.
- FRUIT LAYER: For this, you want a soft fruit like peaches, strawberries, kiwi, and so forth. The fruit should be in bite-sized pieces.
- WHIPPED CREAM LAYER: You really don’t want to use spray canned whipped cream, as it breaks down too quickly. Cool Whip is not a bad choice, but making your own whipped cream is actually pretty easy. CLICK HERE for a simple three-ingredient whipped cream.
- OPTIONAL: CREAM CHEESE LAYER: Alternately, you can use Cream Cheese, Yogurt, cooked (cooled) Vanilla Pudding, and powdered sugar.
- FRESH FRUIT: Top the whipped cream with something like blueberries, strawberries, cherries, etc. Something small and colorful.
- GARNISH: You can garnish with more crushed cookies, or even chopped nuts if you want. You can also place a single mint leaf on the very top for an elegant presentation.
STEP BY STEP – OVERVIEW
- For a large trifle, put a layer of angel food cake in the bottom
- Add a layer of your white mixture cream cheese or whipped cream.
- Stack strawberries against the side so they can be seen
- Add strawberry pieces and blueberries
- Repeat with layers of cake, cream mixture, more fruit
- Finish with a layer of cake, cream mixture, and decoratively place fruits
Chef’s Notes
DO NOT USE ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE IN MY COOKBOOK.
These notes are gleaned from PBS The Great British Baking Show
- A Trifle should have well-defined layers
- Trifles are a West Wales staple – placed on tables several times each week
- Trifles traditionally use lady fingers for the cake layers
- Another option is Vanilla Wafers
- Use a shallow disk to serve many and to all all flavors in a single serving
- Biscuits need to absorb the liquid without disintegrating
- Many of the chefs used lemon meringue or lemon curd – The custard should be thick
- Recipe 1: layers of biscuit/cake, strawberry, whipped cream and blueberry
- Recipe 2: Recipe featured a praline circle on the top
- Recipe 3: bananas, strawberries, mangos with Lemon Macaroons on top
- Recipe 4: Ginger cake with fruit and creme anglaise
- Recipe 5: Spray the layers with cointreau
- Recipe 6: Peach, almond and ginger – with browned butter
- Recipe 7: Cake layer was a lemon Swiss roll
- Recipe 8: Amaretti Bisquits on top
- Recipe 9: Chef used a jelly layer
If you are interested, you can MAKE YOUR OWN LADY FINGERS rather than using pound cake
Recipe from Wall Street Journal
Dec 20, 2016 – CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
What they are calling their Christmas Pudding was defined in a previous publication. You can use slices of Angel Food Cake, Vanilla Wafers, or more traditionally Lady Fingers. This goes over GREAT at parties. Make sure you assemble it into a clear glass bowl or the WOW factor is lost.