English Berry Trifle with Cointreau
by Victoria Challancin
This Christmas I decided to make a dessert I haven't made in years: a proper English-style berry trifle. Armed with a bag of frozen organic berries from Costco, a punnet of fresh raspberries, and a large container of fresh strawberries, I searched for a recipe in which they could shine. The recipe that came closest to memories of trifles made by my British friends in the Middle East came from a source that called it a New England Style Berry Trifle, but I knew in my heart that it was British, seriously British--one of those lovely British puddings that made it across the Atlantic and found its way into American culinary legend.
While the link will take you to the original recipe, I should note the changes that I made while trying to recreate my friends' recipe. First of all, I baked my Mom's recipe for a traditional Southern pound cake. Nothing complicated, just a dense and hearty cake that would easily stand up to a good soak in a liquor-laced solution. I followed most of the recipe as it was given, but once I had made the orange-lemon curd and allowed it to cool, I folded it gently into two cups of whipped heavy cream. The rest is history. And the result so lovely that it just may become a part of my own Christmas tradition--a part of my own history.
