24 not trifling Recipes

lady fingers, sherry or orange liqueur, blackberries , macerated, sugar, instant vanilla pudding mix, milk, heavy whipping cream, almonds, fresh raspberries and/or blueberries, or strawberries

trifle may be a holiday tradition for many families, but it is more about the tradition than the flavor of the thing. most trifles are a gloppy mass of soggy cake, grainy custard, watery fruit, and strong booze. we love the flavors, but wanted something better than that. starting with a classic southern rendition of trifle called tipsy squire, we set out to make a trifle that tasted as good as it looked. here s what we discovered, test kitchen discoveries, stale sponge cake works better than fresh because it absorbs the liquid without turning mushy. allow the cake to sit unwrapped overnight on the counter or expedite the process by baking the cake at 200 degrees for three hours., make a quick and light custard stabilized with cornstarch., use jam , not fresh fruit, for a deep fruit flavor without a watery texture., top the trifle with small almond macaroons for their flavor and crisp texture.

egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, half and half, imported white chocolate (such as lindt), chopped, unsalted butter , cut into pieces, water, honey, sugar, fresh lemon juice, dried apricots, whipping cream, light corn syrup, bittersweet (not unsweetened ) or semisweet chocolate,chopped, purchased 12-oz lb cakes, dark rum, white creme de cacao liqueur, baskets fresh raspberries or 16 oz frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed, firmly whipped cream