Easy Irish Trifle

This recipe for easy Irish trifle is the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert, or for any time you want a pretty, fruit and pudding filled treat.

Well, I have completely thrown a monkey wrench into our family’s most beloved holiday of the year, known to us just as The Day, because as I may have mentioned, the day before The Day my baby girl is getting married.

And on the actual Day, we are having a lovely day after the wedding open house which is not going to feature corned beef or colcannon or trifle, since we are expecting zillions of friends and relatives and that didn’t seem practical.  So we are working out how to celebrate The Day on a day that is after The Day.  None of which means that YOU can’t whip up a bowl of my mama’s delectable trifle.

If you’ve never had trifle before, it is a conglomeration of soft cake and jam and pudding and whipped cream and fruit.  It’s a very flexible little dessert that requires zero baking, and if you want to customize it with your own favorite fruit flavors, then go for it!  We like it with raspberries or strawberries, but you could use peach or blueberries – we Irish are nothing if not flexible.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”This recipe for easy Irish trifle is the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert, or for any time you want a pretty, fruit and pudding filled treat.” quote=”This recipe for easy Irish trifle is the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert, or for any time you want a pretty, fruit and pudding filled treat.”]Traditional trifle calls for ladyfinger cookies, which are a a sponge cookie that you can usually find right in your supermarket.  If you can’t find them, just cut up pound cake or sponge cake into about 1 inch by 3 inch slices and you are all set.  See?  Flexible!

Now, cut the cookies in half and spread the insides with jam so you have a cookie and jam sandwich, and line a pretty bowl (we use a cut glass one so you can see all the deliciousness) with the sandwiches.  We go all along the bottom and almost all the way up the sides.  Don’t worry if some of the jam smooshes out.

Next, take a bowl of Jello that you have cleverly made ahead of time and whip it into foam.  Spread it over the jam sandwiches.  Then take a bowl of vanilla pudding that you have cleverly made ahead of time and spread it over the Jello foam.

As a finishing touch, spread the whole thing with whipped cream and garnish it with whatever fruit flavor you have picked.  My mama also sprinkles it with colored sugar, which is not required but is oh so pretty.

Now all you need to do is scoop it out, making sure everyone gets their fair share of all the ingredients, and dig in!  As for me, I promise to make next St. Patrick’s Day waaaaayyyy less complicated.  And speaking of, for obvious reasons, unless I get a serious second wind, I probably won’t be putting up a new post for a week or so.  But when I do, it will include non-food related PICTURES.

Love, the Mama of the Bride, who is completely calm in every way.  THREE DAYS.

Easy Irish Trifle

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• Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
• Yield: 8
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Irish

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Description

This recipe for easy Irish trifle is the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert, or for any time you want a pretty, fruit and pudding filled treat.

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Ingredients

• One package ladyfinger cookies (see note)
• 1 cup raspberry or strawberry jam
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 1 package of raspberry or strawberry gelatin, prepared according to package directions and fully set
• 1 package vanilla pudding, prepared according to package directions
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
• Fresh raspberries or strawberries for garnish
• Coarse pink sugar for garnish (optional)

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Instructions

1. Cut the ladyfingers in half length-wise (or use two small slices of cake in place of each ladyfinger).  Spread generously with jam and put together like a sandwich.  Line a serving bowl with the sandwiches, all along the bottom and up the sides.  Sprinkle with the sherry.
2. Using an electric mixer, whip the set Jello into a foam.  Spread the foam over the sandwiches.  Spread the prepared pudding over the foam.
3. Put the cream and confectioner’s sugar into a mixing bowl and beat with a mixer until soft peaks form.  Spread over pudding.
4. Garnish with fruit and colored sugar and serve!

Notes

If you can’t find ladyfingers, then thin slices of pound cake or sponge cake will work.  Cut them about 3 inches tall, 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick.

Want to round out your meal? This recipe pairs well with...

Guinness Beef Stew

Irish Brown Bread

Irish Eggs Benedict