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crunchiemummy, disagreement, Food, Humor, if i could escape, jam, jelly, life, marriage, proper, recipe, Thoughts, trifle
Like every loving couple, the hubby and I have our agreements like politics, a good glass of sauvignon blanc and the perfect way to spend a day with the kids … kayaking at Grandma’s.
And, then we have our disagreements … like which video games the boys should be allowed to play, when he should go for the “snip” and what proper trifle is.
You see, for as long as we’ve been married, the proper trifle recipe is something we’ve never agreed upon.
I grew up in England with a Scottish mother who made trifle the way her mother taught her. With jam. No sponge-soaked jelly (aka strawberry flavoured gelatine). So, when I make it myself I do it the same way, but the hubby always moans about it not tasting right.
He also grew up in England, with his mum hailing from ‘Boro. Theirs is a family recipe made with the jelly.
So, just whose recipe is proper?
A quick look at the ever trustworthy Wikepedia website tells me that traditional (aka proper) trifles do not contain jelly. And, that the first trifle was actually just a thick cream flavoured with sugar, ginger and rosewater, It wasn’t until later when milk, custard and alcohol soaked bread were added.
Where does that leave us?
Well, we both agree that proper trifle is a delicious and elegant dessert that absolutely must have copious amounts of sherry. Besides that, it’s all a bit of a deadlock, I’m afraid.
How about you? What’s your take on proper trifle? Jelly, jam or both?
FYI
Jam (UK) = Jelly (US)
Jelly (UK) = Jello (US)
mumof4 said:
Afraid I side with the hubby. Jelly soaked sponge with fruit. No jam thankyouverymuch. But sherry. Also a plus.
Incidentally I made trifles for Mac’s class when they had to take somwething from ‘their country’. I was rushed and stressed and accidentally write ‘sherry trifle’ on the card – and the kids still scoffed it and not one parent asked if there was indeed alcohol in there!
And he should get the snip as it ‘improves bike riding’ (he may well fall for this) – (but I could see you with a little girl btw)
kirsty815 said:
Mum’s made it both ways! I’ve always opted to scoop the custard, cream chocolate shavings and bananas into a bowl avoiding all the fruit and stuff. However, now that I’m older I don’t mind if a little jam and extra stuff makes it into my bowl. YUM!
Almost American said:
I’ve only ever made trifle with jelly soaked into the sponge cake. No sherry. It’s what my mum used to make for pudding for Sunday lunch if she didn’t make a crumble. We called it “kids’ trifle” to distinguish it from the kind with sherry, which I’ve had & very much enjoyed when other people have made it. I’m the only one in our house who will eat trifle though, so I only get to make it for special occasions and then I eat it 3 meals a day for a few days
Hmm – given that I’m the only one who eats it, maybe I should learn how to make real sherry trifle (and not mention to the rest of the household that I’ve changed the recipe!)
Oh, and I also grew up in England with a nominally Scottish mum – but she did leave Scotland for good by the time she was a teenager.
Enna said:
OH MAN – I am totally making a trifle tomorrow because of this post – WITH Jelly.
Vic said:
I’ve never tried it with jam, but let’s face it, as long as it’s not one of those shop bought monstrosities then it’s gotta be good.
momromp said:
Your trifle looks beautiful! I use neither jam nor jelly in my trifle; I do layers of chocolate cake, chocolate sauce, crushed toffee bits, and whipped cream. So, what I’m basically saying is that I don’t make trifles at all correctly. Sigh.
MrsW said:
Apparently the jam thing is Scottish, so my man with the jam trifle Mum tells me, insinuating (rather bravely I think) that my jelly trifle family are perhaps not quite Scottish enough.
Yeah, brave.
I humoured him a few Christmas’ ago with a jam trifle (my jelly trifle Mum’s home made raspberry) and it was lush enough for me to ditch my jelly trifle making ways. In the event we ever get round to actually tying the knot, despite my interwebtube moniker I will be keeping my own name. So jam in the trifle is the least I could do, you know, so’s not to emasculate him too much
Whitby Wendy said:
I honestly have never heard of using jam…… will have to sample that next time I visit your mum’s house
Sponge and jelly for me, but occasionally fruit at the bottom. (can’t beat a tin of mixed fruit)!!!!!!!!!
Suburban Mum said:
Jelly! Mum used to use Swiss roll slices rather than trifle sponges, so I guess it then had jelly AND jam!
kyooty said:
I’ve never had a proper Triffle
Emma said:
Jam…says my Irish cousin, the chef.
Liz (LivingwithKids) said:
My grandmother, who cooked for the Queen, made the best trifle in the world and I still follow her recipe. Swiss roll on bottom soaked in orange juice and sherry, then chopped up jelly, then custard, then whipped cream with hundreds and thousands.
Of course if I was Rachel Green from Friends I would say ‘you add a layer of ladyfingers then a layer of minced beef then a layer of mash potatoes’