trifle

Rumor has it that I like to cook.  Trey would like to refute that, and so would I actually, but secretly, I do.  Sometimes.  When it's unhealthy.  Or when I don't have to clean up.  Actually, I have a fantasy kitchen in my head and it's big and open with a great prep-island with either stone or marble surface.  Marble is good for pastries and I have a great homemade apple pie recipe complete with homemade crust.  I'm also considering baking my own bread some this winter.  I hear it's cheaper and I bet it's healthier since I don't have any high fructose corn syrup in my pantry.  Can you believe they put that in bread?  but I digress....

 

Some of the blogs that I read have cooking sections.  One of my favorites is over on The Pioneer Woman's website.  You should check it out.  She also takes great pictures.  Anyway, in honor of her, I'm posting a recipe that people have started requesting from me.  Tomorrow morning is our first PTA Board of Managers' meeting and I'm among those bringing food.  Imagine that!   So here's my recipe for fruit trifle.  It's a great light summer recipe.

  The cast of characters.  Fresh blueberries and strawberries, store baked angel food cake (I've used pound cake, too), 2 cups milk, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla pudding and whipped topping.  Oh, I used to sell Pampered Chef, so you'll see I use almost all their stuff.  I have a well-stocked kitchen.

 

Cut the angel food cake into smaller squares.  The easiest way is to start by cutting it in half this way...

 

Then slice it this way... 

 

 

Then start slicing the sections into cubes.

  

Start layering your trifle with the cake squares.

  

This is me mixing the pudding too early.  That's what happens when you get caught up in taking cool pictures of pouring milk into a bowl.

   

 

I added 1 cup of the condensed milk in replace of 1 cup of milk (still total of 3 cups with the instant pudding).  There are two different ways you can do this.  Let it set and layer it with the fruit or wait until the very end and pour it over all the layers letting it set around the fruit and cake.  That's what I wanted to do, but instead, I'm making individual layers because I mixed it too soon.

mix well...

   

  

start adding your fruit.  Frozen blueberries will work, too, if you can't find fresh. 

I have this really neat tool to slice my strawberries.  

it's fast and easy...

  

and it makes perfect slices.  But you can use a paring knife, too. 

   

So, we've started with cake, added blueberries and strawberries. 

   

add some of the custard and spread it around on top of the fruit.  If you're waiting until the end like I suggested before, then skip this and start layering cake again. 

 

more layering...

Final layers.  This is when you would pour the mixed, but not set, pudding if you were doing it that way.  

Top it off with whipped topping and viola!  Trifle!  Stick it in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight and you're all done!! 

Let me know if you like this idea of me adding cooking recipes.  I can't promise great pictures or delicious recipes, but it could be fun.