“Perhaps reflecting her British-Southern heritage, Mother loves nothing more
than a great trifle, and she spent years searching for the perfect recipe till a
friend from Tidewater Virginia explained how her English mother used to
make hers. Once Mother had mastered the technique, the trifle became a major
feature at her elaborate New Year’s Eve dinner, and when, just recently, one
of my friends, Lowell Judson, presented her with a crystal footed trifle bowl,
you would have thought he’d given her gold ingots. If you don’t own a genuine
trifle bowl, (available in finer kitchen supply shops), a simple large glass one
works fine.”

1/4 pound macaroons
One 13 x 9-inch Sponge Cake (recipe follows)
1 cup apricot jam
3 cups sweet Sherry
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon brandy
1 cup Boiled Custard (recipe follows)
1 pint heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 ounces slivered almonds
Maraschino cherries for garnish

Arrange the macaroons over the bottom of a trifle bowl. Cut the sponge
cake into thin slices, then spread each slice with jam and arrange the slices
evenly over the macaroons. Pour the Sherry and 2 tablespoons of the
randy over the top and let the layers soak for about 1 hour.
Pour the custard evenly over the soaked layers. In a medium-size mixing
bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer till thick (not stiff or it won’t
pipe correctly), then add the vanilla, sugar, and the remaining teaspoon of
brandy and beat till well blended. Scrape the whipped cream into a pastry
bag and pipe over the top of the trifle in a decorative manner. Garnish the
top with the almonds and cherries and chill the trifle for about 2 hours
before serving with a large spoon.
Yield:  8 to 10 servings

Sponge Cake

1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
6 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with
waxed paper and set aside.
Into a small mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt
and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter together over
moderate heat till the butter melts; keep hot over low heat.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer till thick,
then gradually add the sugar, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and beat
till well blended. Add the flour mixture and stir just till mixed, then gently
stir in the hot milk mixture till well blended. Scrape the batter into the
prepared pan and bake till a cake tester or straw inserted in the center
comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5
minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, peel off the waxed paper, and let
cool completely.
Yield:  One 13x9-inch cake

Martha’s Sweet Note:  Cake flour gives cakes… a lighter texture than all-
purpose flour, but if a recipe calls for cake flour and you don’t have any, you
can sift and resift all-purpose flour eight to ten times and get the same results.

Boiled Custard

“This classic custard… is not only the perfect comfort dish for shut-ins unable
to digest most foods easily but also the base of many of Mother’s Bavarians,
trifles, and puddings. The custard may seem ridiculously simple, but if you’re
not extremely careful adding the hot milk to the egg mixture, stirring
constantly, you can end up with a curdled mess.”

1 quart [4 cups] milk
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In the top of a double boiler set over simmering (not boiling) water, heat
the milk till hot. In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar
together till frothy, the, stirring constantly, add about 1/4 cup of the hot
milk to the egg mixture. Stirring constantly, pour the egg mixture into the
milk and cook till it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about
5 minutes. Remove the custard from the heat, scrape into a bowl, stir in
the vanilla, and let cool before serving, whisking gently from time to time.
 

Makes 10 servings

Serves 12

One 1-pound panettone, cut into 1-inch slices
1 quart [4 cups] light cream
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 pound unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons Amaretto
2 large egg yolks

1. Heat the broiler. Put the bread slices on two baking sheets and toast,
turning once, until lightly browned. Set aside to dry for at least one hour.
2.Tear the toasted panettone into 1 1/2-inch pieces and put them in a large bowl. Add the cream and toss to moisten all the pieces. Let sit until all
the cream is absorbed, about 1 hour.
3. Heat the oven to 325 degrees [F.] Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk the whole eggs, the granulated sugar, and the
vanilla and almond extracts until thoroughly combined. Stir into the
cream-soaked bread. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake the pudding in the middle of the preheated oven until it is just set
and the bread is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool.
5. In a medium bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the
butter. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Continue
whisking until the mixture is creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the Amaretto
and then the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is the consistency of honey, about 4 minutes.
A candy thermometer should register 160 degrees [F.] Let cool.
6. Heat the broiler. Shortly before serving, spoon the Amaretto sauce
over the pudding and broil until bubbling and lightly browned, about 2
minutes. Serve warm.
- Sheila Lukins

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Trifle with Me!