English Trifle--A Christmas Tradition

You know you are related when you get on Facebook and your cousins are posting pictures of the English trifle they have made for Christmas. I was no exception.

This is my version that I took to a lovely Christmas Eve dinner with close friends.

 

This dessert is amazing easy to make and is a great way to use up yellow cake if you have some extra. You start by loosely stacking slabs of the cake in the bottom of a trifle dish. I used the shells that are traditionally used for strawberry shortcake because they were on sale, but ladyfingers and Twinkies--yes, Twinkies--will even do.

 

Next, I mixed up a large batch of strawberry gelatin and drizzled it over the cake. The gelatin should just cover the cake. It's all right if a tiny bit of the cake sticks up above the surface as long as it is coated with the gelatin mixture. Chill until the gelatin sets. 

 

My version of trifle includes a layer of Mandarin oranges. A small can will do. I just drained the oranges and sprinkled them over the set gelatin.

 

Next I mixed up a large box of instant vanilla pudding, poured that over the top, then chilled it all in the refrigerator for about an hour. Finally, I topped it all off with Cool Whip. An easy dessert, but you do have to plan ahead because of the chilling requirements.

 

Merry Christmas!