Beryl’s famously delicious family favourite trifle

My mother is 92 this Sunday. This recipe was handed down to her by her grandmother. It is always the ‘talk of the meal’ and has been served so many thousands of times with the simple question:

‘What have you got in here that makes it so good?’

Fifty years ago, she sold this recipe for charity
in Brussels. As her daughter, I had to show the winner, Mary Czklar, how to make it and gave away the treasured family secret. 

It was a big moment.

So we thank you all so much for your donation and 
my mother has this message:

‘I hope you enjoy the trifle as much as all our friends have for over a century and wish you a happy life. Thank you for helping to support so many people suffering across the world’.

For the sensitive among you, don’t read on but she added (and this applies only to her) and laughing:

‘She is proving the theory that only the good die
young’ (she broke into giggles)

To our vegan friends, we know this is not ‘healthy’ but ask you to make it with vegan alternatives.

Ingredients:

Amaretto macaroon biscuits (or some such) crumbled and crushed to the depth of half an inch- not trifle sponges as they can be too soggy and thick.

Tio Pepe or good quality sherry -not too sweet-not too dry

Custard powder and milk or the now very good ready-made
custard you can buy

Double cream whipped (not too much or too little)

Flaked almonds roasted ( but don’t burn them by leaving them in the oven too long)

Tin of peaches

Quality raspberry jam swiss roll cut into slices

Sponge finger biscuits

Fresh or frozen fresh raspberries

A deep straight sided glass bowl

What to do

Place sliced swiss roll in bottom of dish and soak with
sherry

Separately soak the sponge finger biscuits and amaretto
macaroon biscuits in half sherry and half peach juice and any spare raspberry
juice. Don’t make too soggy or they won’t stand up.

Around the inside of the dish upright against the sides,  alternate a tinned peach slice and a sponge finger biscuit (now damp with sherry). Thus you have a sponge finger and peach
alternating around the edge.

Cover the swiss roll well, with the rest of the peaches and the fresh or frozen raspberries letting any of the raspberry juice soak in.

Make custard and pour over to a depth permitting plenty of whipped cream to cover the top.

Cover with the whipped cream.

Decorate with the perfectly golden roasted sliced almonds.

Make it look pretty.

Making it look pretty is most important.

Eat and enjoy!

for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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