The mini ultimate berry trifles

I was going to make a big trifle to go along with savory French toast for breakfast on July 5, but everyone was still processing the previous night's feastival.  So I decided to nix that idea.  A few days passed before I remembered that I still had the trifle ingredients and a whole lot of berries in the refrigerator.

I wish we owned mini trifle bowls, but alas, all we have is a great big one.  A jumbo trifle for two, particularly a low-fat one, almost never works for me.  Day One is fantastic, but on Day Two the trifle transmogrifies into a soupy crime scene of berry fluid, sodden cake, and cream that doesn't want to be cream anymore.  But trifles are soooo good!  What to do?

I give you the mini trifle assembled in six chubby juice glasses.  I used Tyler Florence's recipe for The Ultimate Berry Trifle.  It lives up to its name, and I've made the full-sized version a number of times to great acclaim.  It really couldn't be easier to make.  After everyone digs in, takes an initial bite, and lets out a low moan of delight, an interesting, greedy silence falls upon the table, punctuated by clinks of spoons hitting bowls. 

Plus it's beautiful.  I would imagine that children would enjoy assembling it for you.  Please make it.

INGREDIENTS

Berries

• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and cut into thick slices
• 1 pint raspberries  (see note below)
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 1/2 t cornstarch
• juice of one lemon

Lemon cream

• 1 C heavy cream
• 1 T sugar
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 C store-bought lemon curd  <-- you can find this in either the jams/jellies or international (England) section of your store, usually.  If you can't find it, I'm sorry, but that's a deal-breaker here.  Do not make this trifle without it. 
  

Also

• 1 store-bought pound cake, cut into 1/2 inch slices

DIRECTIONS

Note about the berries: I used two pints of blueberries, one bag of frozen raspberries, and about one cup of strawberries, and it was great.  You can't lose with this if you have the equivalent of around 3 pints of fruit.  And I don't think anyone will object to you using more than that amount of fruit, either.  If you're using a lot of berries, simply increase the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon.

Combine the berries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a simmer and cook just until the berries begin to break down and give up their juices.  Take the berries off the heat and let cool; the mixture should thicken up as is cools.  <-- If you can't wait for it to cool off gradually, transfer the berries to the freezer for a while. 

In a clean bowl, whip the cream with the sugar and the vanilla to soft peaks.  Put the lemon curd into a second bowl and stir in a little of the whipped cream to loosen it.  Then fold in the rest of the cream.  <-- It is fantastic and I urge you to dip a pound cake scrap into it.

To assemble the trifle, spoon a layer of the lemon cream into a large glass bowl (or six 8-10 oz cups).  Add a layer of pound cake, breaking the slices into pieces that fit.  Then soak the cake with a layer of berries and their juices.  Keep going to make 3 or 4 more layers, depending on the size of the bowl, finishing with a layer of lemon cream.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Garnish with mint or extra berries.  Some would say this makes a fine breakfast dish because it's fruit.

Comments

[Melinda]

Looking at these beautiful core samples of pure delight, I have to wonder how it came to be that the conjugation of the word "trifle" has evolved into the stinging urban put-down we know today. It's about time somebody reclaimed the word and restored its delicious dignity. Kelly Eddington, you a triflin' fool and I'm proud to support your cause. (But seriously? Yuh-huummm!)

[Kelly]

Hell yes, I'm a triflin' fool! Make these, Melinda, and KNOW JOY.

[Beth]

These look so yummy and just further goes to prove the theory that nothing with lemon curd as an ingredient can be bad.

I know exactly what you mean about making one big trifle rather than smaller ones, that gloopy mess isn't nearly as nice as it was when it started out. I'd never considered making individual trifles before, which in hindsight was just plain stupid on my part!

Thank you for the recipe!

[Kelly]

I couldn't believe the difference small containers made. Trifle 6 was just as good as Trifle 1. :D