Of all the British puddings with their whimsical names — the roly-poly, the spotted dick, the whim wham and the Eton mess — none is as popular on this side of the pond as a custardy, boozy, cream-topped trifle. Flamboyant, fruity and exceedingly merry, trifles are a show-off dessert with a self-effacing name. For all their fanciness, they’re also highly adaptable. As long as you have layers of cake, custard, some kind of fruit or jam (or both), and a fluffy cloud of cream on top, you can vary it as much as you like. This said, there are, still, a few very loose rules to keep in mind for the best possible result.

Source: New York Times December 11, 2020 18:30 UTC