Monday, July 27, 2015

Little Trifles of Summer



While I have been accused of being a bit of a domestic diva, I'm not in the habit of promoting products. Recently, though, while I waited for something, I killed some time (and some cash) in WalMart where I found adorable little glass trifle bowls. They're just the perfect size for a single serving. And at $2 a pop, you wouldn't break the bank if you needed enough for a small luncheon. They make cute sugar bowls, too. And would be very sweet favors filled with colorful candy and tied with a bow.

In my case, house guests arrived a few days after I bought them. And I stumbled upon the best summer dessert ever - a summer trifle. I skipped the pudding altogether and simply used cubes of cake, fresh fruit, and whipped cream.

You can make this with store bought cake. I'll never tell! Pound cake or angel food cake would be great choices. I used the Big Blueberry Cake that I posted a few weeks ago. Shh, now don't go blabbing, but you can use that cake two ways and your guests won't even notice. Cut up part of it for the summer trifle, and serve the remaining pieces as coffeecake with breakfast the next day!

Of course, any yummy berries will do. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries or a combination of whatever you have on hand.

I dressed mine up a little bit by pouring a bit of Chambord on the cake squares. You could just as easily use a different sweet fruit liqueur or rum.

Summer Trifles
(makes 4 individual trifles)

2-3 pints assorted berries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries
1/2 a cake
fruit liqueur or rum (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Wash the berries and dry on paper towels. Cut the strawberries into pieces. Cut the cake into 1-inch (approximate) squares. Beat the heavy cream until it begins to take shape, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until it holds a shape but isn't stiff.

Begin with cake and berries. Sprinkle the cake with liqueur. Add a dollop of cream. Repeat, ending with the cream. Top with a berry.

So refreshing!

And healthy!

A little indulgence.






20 comments:

  1. Summer Trifles looks delightfully yummy! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

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  2. You, a diva? Say it isn't so! The trifles are beautiful. I bet your guests were over the moon...

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    1. LOL! Everyone loved it. It seems like such a treat, but it's super easy.

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  3. Pretty as a picture. And delicious, too.

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    1. Thank you, Libby. Sometimes the simple things are the best!

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  4. Yum those look so good and refreshing on a hot day

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    1. Deb. they are light - and so appealing when it's hot outside.

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  5. Looks so yummy...and easy! :)

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  6. Oh my! These will be a hit! Thanks so much, Krista. Hugs, MJ

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    1. I suspect the Maffini clan will love them!

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  7. I just love simple summer desserts, thanks so much for sharing this recipe! :-)

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  8. Looks amazing and great for summer!! Thanks for sharing!!

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  9. Very pretty! And I have a sponge cake sitting in the pantry right now, I think I may put it to good use tomorrow!

    And don't you jus love when you find something like that?! There is nothing better than stumbling across something in a store that you didn't know you needed until you see it. And it is even better when it is too cheap to pass up. And after you buy it and get it home, you wonder how you lived with out it.

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    1. LOL, Margaret! You're so right, I had seen little individual trifle glasses elsewhere for a lot more, so I was very happy when I stumbled upon these. I'm finding them useful in other ways, too. Plus, they stack nicely, so they don't take up a lot of room.

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  10. Krista, you are so amazing! You do so much and you still manage to write books! Thanks for the recipe!

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    1. Aww, you're very sweet, Elaine. I don't do half of what a lot of other people do, but I keep trying!

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