The scenario: You’ve been asked to make a dessert for a big holiday celebration, and you’re keen to impress. But maybe you’re daunted by grand sweets. Or worried that it will become disheveled during transport. Or you’ll be busy on the day of the party and need to craft your masterpiece well in advance. In any case, what are you bringing? Trifle.
With its contrasting layers of silky custard, jewel-toned fruit, airy cream, and tender cake (usually sprinkled with booze for bonus holiday cheer), trifle is a guaranteed slam dunk. Making it look good doesn’t take much, because the trifle bowl, a footed glass number with straight sides, does a lot of the fancifying work. Once you’ve prepared the components, simply stack them in order and they’ll resemble a cache of gems displayed in a crystal case. The bowl holds everything securely, so there’s little danger of travel-related damage.
