Black Forest Trifle

This is my Grandma’s trifle bowl and I am so happy to have it and get to use it. She loved to make desserts and I know that’s where I got my love of them too!  Instead of the traditional British trifle, I mixed it up and made it with a cherry filling.  You can make it quite easily with a few cheats ~ store bought pound cake, Birds custard mix, and frozen cherries.  I put the frozen cherries in a saucepan with some lemon juice and a little water and sugar to taste and let it cook for 8-10 minutes.  I made a slurry with cornstarch and water and added some until it was a glaze consistency.  I made the ubiquitous Bird’s custard from my childhood and all you have to do is bring milk to a simmer and add a little cold milk to a small bowl of the custard mixture, whisk it up and add some hot milk to the mixture and then whisk it all into the hot milk and cook the custard until it simmers and cooks for a few minutes. I like to add a dash of vanilla powder or little splash of vanilla and then allow it to completely cool.  Cut up some pound cake and add it to the trifle bowl, sprinkle it with some Kirsch if you have some or a little brandy, and add a third of the cherry mixture and top it with custard, and then repeat the layers.  Make some whipped cream and dollop it over the cherries and then grate a bittersweet chocolate bar over the trifle for garnish.  This trifle can be made the day before so it is nice if you are having a party.  Click here for the recipe….