Trifling with Trifle

I have dared to create a trifle all of my own ~

A lovely, but too moist, angel food cake made with Pear/Applesauce, fell apart and, as a flop and a failure, could surely have met its demise then and there.

But it tasted so good!

And - I can’t bear to throw food out - even if it is just cake.

Over coffee with a friend, I told her of my mishap,

how I would use the badly damaged cake in my daily desserts.

'By adding cake with my fruit and yogurt, it would almost be like a trifle.'

Inspiration took the floor!

As soon as I got to my kitchen,

these two lovely bowls of my ‘Trifle’ were created.

***

Trifle has quite long, rich and varied history!

The first known written documentation was in England in 1596.

From then till now trifle seems to have been a dessert made from what was available to brighten and lighten a festive meal.

First recipe - merely sugar, ginger and rosewater.

Sixty years later milk and bread joined in - with only a bit of alcohol (to soften the bread I’m sure)

Trifle has been call a 'fool' or 'foole'!

Bread was exchanged for sponge cake through the ages.

Jelly (liquid gelatin dessert) was added.

English Trifle has also been known as ‘fool’ or ‘foole’.

Scottish Trifle - Tipsy Laird with Drambuie or whisky

Southern U.S.  another variant is ‘tipsy hedgehog’ or ‘tipsy parson’

Creole trifle, also known by two other names (Russian cake or Russian Slab)

Italy has a similar dessert known as ‘zuppa inglese’ - meaning English Soup!

Spain  - a distant relative is 'bizcocho boracho'

Consistent with history, Susan's Trifle was born of what was handy and from my imagination:

my delicious angel food cake - moist with Pear/Apple Sauce

raspberries and last years black berries in the freezer

lovely thick greek yogurt instead of custard.

Drizzle a little honey between the layers, a sprinkle of nutmeg on top and there you have it!

Delicious!

“The history of the world is the record of 

a man in quest of his daily bread and butter.”

~ Hendrik Wilhelm van Loon, the Story of Mankind 

Resource:

Wikipedia

'The History of Trifle' - What's Cooking America webpage.