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Food

24th Dec 2015

3 Alternative Trifles That Belong On Your Christmas Table This Year

Katie Mythen-Lynch

Listen, before I go any further, let me be clear; I’ll scoff a traditional sherry trifle as fast as the next Christmas over eater. 

Amazingly, it’s not the gelatinous wobble of the cold custard, or the mysterious crunch of the jellied tinned fruit that has sent me off in search of flavours and textures new.

It’s just that, at a time when we have a world of inspiration at our sticky little fingertips, it seems a shame not to at least try something wild now and again. And the Christmas trifle should not be exempt from a little makeover.

If you like your trifle traditional, then by all means have at it. If you fancy a little luxury among those layers, here are three ways to do it:

Be warned though; you might never go back.

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

pb

Ingredients
  • 1 box fudge brownie mix, plus the ingredients required on the box
  • 1 package (10 oz) peanut butter chips
  • 26 oz miniature peanut butter cups (or chopped standard Reese’s Cups)
  • 4 cups cold milk
  • 2 packages (5.1 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix (available in Tesco)
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Whipped cream to top
Instructions
  1. Prepare the brownie mix according to the package. Cool completely, then cut into ¾ inch squares.
  2. Chop the peanut butter cups. Reserve ⅓ to ½ cup for garnish.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the milk and the pudding mix. Beat for 2 minutes – it should be thick. Add in the peanut butter and vanilla and mix to combine. Fold in ¾ of the whipped topping.
  4. Put ⅓ of the brownie pieces in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Top with ⅓ of the peanut butter cups, then ⅓ of the pudding mixture. Repeat the layers 2 more times. Cover the top with the remaining whipped topping, then garnish with the reserved peanut butter cups. Refrigerate until chilled.

Recipe and photography by Tasteandtellblog.com

Caramel Apple Trifles

2

Ingredients

(Makes 4)

CARAMEL SAUCE
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp salted butter, cubed, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
CINNAMON APPLES
3 apples, diced
2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM
1 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup Cinnamon Granola
Instructions
1. To make the caramel, add the sugar in an even layer to the bottom of a medium saucepan.
2. Heat sugar on medium-high and whisk until the sugar has melted, about 5 minutes. The sugar will lump together, but eventually melt.
3. Continue whisking until the temperature reaches 350 degrees or the sugar has turned an amber color. It will reach 350 degrees very quickly after all the sugar has melted. Watch it very closely. It goes from nice caramel to burned very quickly.
4. Remove caramel from heat and add butter. Whisk until melted and combined. Mixture might bubble a bit.
5. Add the heavy cream and whisk until incorporated.
6. Cool caramel to room temperature.
7. To make the apples, combine apples, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar in a medium pan and toss to coat.
8. Add butter and cook apples for about 15-20 minutes, or until at preferred softness.
9. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
10. To make cinnamon whipped cream, freeze a metal bowl and whisk attachment for 10-15 minutes.
11. Remove bowl from freezer, add heavy whipping cream, and whip on high speed until it begins to thicken.
12. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon and whip until it you get stiff peaks.
13. Once everything is made a ready, build the trifles.
14. Pipe an even layer of whipped cream into the bottom of the cup or jar you are using.
15. Add about 2 tbsp granola in an even layer.
16. Drizzle caramel over granola.
17. Spoon apples over caramel.
18. Repeat layers 14-17, then drizzle more caramel over the tops of each trifle.
19. Store in the fridge for 2-3 hours, or until ready to serve.
Recipe and photography by Lifeloveandsugar.com

 

Salted Caramel & Brownie Trifle
1
Ingredients

FUDGE BROWNIE

  • 4 Tbsp cold and unsalted butter
  • 10 oz Good quality chocolate (72% cocoa solids)
  • 1½ Cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • 4 Whole eggs, beaten lightly
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1½ Cups A.p flour
  • ½ tsp salt

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Enough water to cover the sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, cut up into 6 pieces*
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon salt

SALTED CARAMEL MOUSSE

  • 1 cup Salted Caramel Sauce (above recipe)
  • 2 Tblsp granulated sugar
  • 2 packs (1 lb) Cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3 cups heavy cream, cold

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

  • 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
  1. First layer to make is the fudge Brownies:
  2. Preheat the oven to 350oF. Grease and line a 13×9 inch baking pan
  3. Combine the butter, chocolate and sugar in medium saucepan; stir over medium heat until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool down.
  4. Stir in the eggs, vanilla, flour and salt
  5. Pour Brownie mix into the prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes. Take care not to over bake or they can be dry, and not fudgy. When baked, set aside to go cold until needed. The brownies freeze really well if you don’t eat them all at once
  6. For the Salted Caramel Sauce: Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula.
  7. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
  8. Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
  9. Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes.
  10. Very slowly, drizzle in ½ cup of heavy cream. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
  11. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool down before using.
  12. SALTED CARAMEL MOUSSE: Transfer cream cheese into mixer. Beat at medium-high speed until smooth and no lumps, about 4 minutes.
  13. Add in the reserved salted caramel sauce and sugar. Continue to beat on high until fluffy, another 3 minutes., the more air the better your mousse will be.
  14. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Divide the cream in half, half for the mousse and other half for cream layers.
  15. Fold ½ whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Place in fridge until needed. Taste a spoonful so you know what you have to look forward to.
  16. Place the other bowl of cream in the fridge until assembly of the trifle.
  17. CHOCOLATE SAUCE: Heat the cream. Pour over the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
  18. ASSEMBLING THE TRIFLE: In a large trifle dish (or a big glass bowl) crumble in your fudge brownie. Leave some bits chunky so you have nice chewy texture to match the soft mousse and cream.
  19. Next, spoon over the Salted Caramel sauce to moisten the brownie.
  20. Scoop in a large spoonful of the Salted Caramel Mousse and move it around to reach the edges
  21. Drizzle the rich Chocolate Sauce over the Salted Caramel Mousse layer and spoon on the whipped cream layer all the way to the edges.
  22. Repeat the layers again from the start: Crumbled Brownie, Caramel Sauce, Caramel Mousse, Chocolate sauce, Whipped Cream.
  23. To finish, crumble some brownie crumbs and drizzle over the gorgeous sauces.

Recipe and photography by Bigger Bolder Baking.