For my new Literary Dining Mystery series, which I set in a small town near Asheville, NC (mainly because I wanted the set the series in a mountain town and my nephew lives nearby), I had to do a deep dive into the area. A tour was involved.
Next, because Murder on the Page focuses on Pride and Prejudice, the favorite book of the victim, I not only reread the book, but I pulled quotes, studied the costumes of the Regency Era, and tried to make a few recipes that the Bennets and their friends might consume. I had a blast. I learned how to make Maids of Honor, which are delectable little jam cakes (the recipe is on my website, click the link).
And I made white soup! What a treat. Note: it took a lo-o-ong time to concoct.
One of the desserts I decided to make was Delightful Trifle. This recipe asks for regular pound cake. Store bought is fine. However, because I’m celiac and need to eat gluten-free, I made a cake from scratch. Delish! You can write me for that recipe if you need to eat gluten-free.
I hope you enjoy this trifle. May it bring you joy and make you feel like you, too, are dining with the Bennetts . . . or my new adventuresome protagonist, caterer Allie Katt.
DELIGHTFUL TRIFLE
(Serves: 8)
Needed for the recipe:
1 recipe stirred custard
1/2 loaf pound cake
1/3 cup triple sec or orange juice
1 cup strawberry freezer jam
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Fresh strawberries
How to make Stirred Custard:
5 egg yolks, beaten
1 ½ cup milk
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
In a heavy medium sized saucepan, stir together egg yolks, milk, and sugar.
Prepare a large bowl filled with ice and ice water. Set aside.
Cook and stir continuously over medium heat until the mixture coats the back of a clean metal spoon. About 5–6 minutes. Do not boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Quickly cool the custard by placing the saucepan in the large bowl of ice water for 1–2 minutes, stirring repeatedly.
Pour the custard into a small bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Chill the custard for 2 hours or until serving time. It will be runny. Stirred custard does not “set.”
How to make Strawberry Freezer Jam:
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups sugar
1 package dry pectin or 1 package gelatin
¾ cup water
In a medium bowl, mix strawberries and sugar. Let stand 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir the pectin or gelatin into the water in a small saucepan. Bring this to a boil and boil for 1 minutes.
Add in the strawberries and, using a potato masher, crush the berries. Allow the mixture to stand for 3 minutes and then pour into clean jars, leaving space at the top for expansion.
Let stand for 24 hours at room temperature before freezing. *This may be used immediately in the trifle recipe—if you didn’t have time to freeze it—but it must be cooled completely.
To Construct the Trifle:
Cut half a loaf of pound cake into slices about 1/2 -inch thick and then cut the slices in half or cubes. Measure out the triple sec and jam.
To assemble individual trifles in bowls, layer:
Cake
1 teaspoon triple sec
1 tablespoon strawberry freezer jam
2 tablespoons custard
Cake
1 teaspoon triple sec
1 tablespoon strawberry freezer jam
3 tablespoons custard
To assemble a large trifle in a clear glass bowl that will serve 8:
Layer:
Half the cake slices or cubes
Sprinkle with 8 teaspoons triple sec
Top with ½ cup strawberry freezer jam
Top with 1 cup custard
Repeat:
Half the cake slices, cubes
8 teaspoons triple sec
½ cup strawberry freezer jam
1 cup custard
Chill trifle(s) for at least 8 hours.This is a must.The cake will sop up the moisture.
When ready to serve, make the whipped cream and garnish dishes with fresh strawberries.
1/2 loaf pound cake
1/3 cup triple sec or orange juice
1 cup strawberry freezer jam
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Fresh strawberries
How to make Stirred Custard:
5 egg yolks, beaten
1 ½ cup milk
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
In a heavy medium sized saucepan, stir together egg yolks, milk, and sugar.
Prepare a large bowl filled with ice and ice water. Set aside.
Cook and stir continuously over medium heat until the mixture coats the back of a clean metal spoon. About 5–6 minutes. Do not boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Quickly cool the custard by placing the saucepan in the large bowl of ice water for 1–2 minutes, stirring repeatedly.
Pour the custard into a small bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Chill the custard for 2 hours or until serving time. It will be runny. Stirred custard does not “set.”
How to make Strawberry Freezer Jam:
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups sugar
1 package dry pectin or 1 package gelatin
¾ cup water
In a medium bowl, mix strawberries and sugar. Let stand 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir the pectin or gelatin into the water in a small saucepan. Bring this to a boil and boil for 1 minutes.
Add in the strawberries and, using a potato masher, crush the berries. Allow the mixture to stand for 3 minutes and then pour into clean jars, leaving space at the top for expansion.
Let stand for 24 hours at room temperature before freezing. *This may be used immediately in the trifle recipe—if you didn’t have time to freeze it—but it must be cooled completely.
To Construct the Trifle:
Cut half a loaf of pound cake into slices about 1/2 -inch thick and then cut the slices in half or cubes. Measure out the triple sec and jam.
To assemble individual trifles in bowls, layer:
Cake
1 teaspoon triple sec
1 tablespoon strawberry freezer jam
2 tablespoons custard
Cake
1 teaspoon triple sec
1 tablespoon strawberry freezer jam
3 tablespoons custard
To assemble a large trifle in a clear glass bowl that will serve 8:
Layer:
Half the cake slices or cubes
Sprinkle with 8 teaspoons triple sec
Top with ½ cup strawberry freezer jam
Top with 1 cup custard
Repeat:
Half the cake slices, cubes
8 teaspoons triple sec
½ cup strawberry freezer jam
1 cup custard
Chill trifle(s) for at least 8 hours.This is a must.The cake will sop up the moisture.
When ready to serve, make the whipped cream and garnish dishes with fresh strawberries.
***
Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, the Fairy Garden Mysteries and the Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense novels and an occasional romance. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.”
Learn more on her website: https://darylwoodgerber.com
4 comments:
Sounds delicious Thank you
This looks absolutely delicious.
That trifle sounds wonderful! My mother used to make trifle with lady fingers (bought, I assume) and raspberries, but this one sounds just as delicious.
I’m looking forward to this new series!
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