One of my favorite desserts growing up was my mom's homemade trifle. She made it with whatever fruit was in season. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, you name it. To me, it was basically fruit lasagna, only with sponge cake and pudding instead of noodles and ricotta.
I was never very good at waiting for those colorful layers of sponge cake, fruit, pudding, and whipped cream to chill before helping myself.
That’s why I was surprised when I somehow let Connecticut strawberry season slip right by without making one. Then blueberry season arrived, but with all the recent news about Cyclospora showing up in fresh produce, I decided to play it safe. That still left me with a craving that wasn't going away. So, I grabbed a couple cans of peaches.
Since I was using canned fruit instead of fresh, I decided to dress up the rest of the recipe a little. I replaced half the milk with heavy cream, which turned the pudding into something closer to a mousse. And instead of frozen whipped topping, I used the real thing. If you're going to indulge, you might as well do it right.
The result was every bit as good as I remembered, and maybe even a little better. Calling it Peaches and Crème Trifle didn't hurt either, because nothing makes a dish taste better than giving it a French name.
By the way, if you missed Peg Cochran's Mystery Lovers' Kitchen post on Saturday, she shared some practical advice on enjoying summer fruits and vegetables safely, along with several terrific recipes. It's well worth a look. You can find it HERE.
Peaches and Crème Trifle
Ingredients
1 (5⅛-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1½ cups cold milk
2 cups heavy cream, whipped (1½ cups for the filling and ½ cup for the topping)
1 (9-inch) angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 (15-ounce) cans sliced peaches, well drained
1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the instant pudding mix and cold milk for 2 minutes, until the pudding begins to thicken.
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold 1½ cups of the whipped cream into the pudding. Stir in the almond extract. Reserve the remaining ½ cup of whipped cream for the topping.
In a trifle bowl or other clear glass serving dish, layer half of the cake cubes, followed by half of the pudding mixture and half of the peaches.
Repeat the layers with the remaining cake, pudding, and peaches.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
Serves: 8 to 10
Ang Pompano is a mystery author, editor, publisher and blogger. He writes the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency, and the Reluctant Food Columnist series, both published by Level Best Books. In addition to his writing, Ang is a co-founder of Crime Spell Books and serves as co-editor of the Best New England Crime Stories anthology. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Annette, an artist, and their two rescue dogs, Dexter and Alfie.
Diet of Death
by Ang Pompano
The first in the Reluctant Food Columnist Series
Betty Ann Green is a beloved culinary icon…who doesn’t exist. She is the brilliant, beautiful illusion created by two unlikely collaborators. Behind the façade is Quincy Lazzaro, a culinarily challenged writer whose witty, sharp prose is the public face of Betty, while those flawless, genius recipes are all thanks to his octogenarian neighbor, Mary Ticarelli.
When the arrogant diet guru, Dr. Alan Tolzer, inventor of the Westport Diet, demands a face-to-face interview, Quincy reluctantly steps in as Betty’s frontman, only for Tolzer to drop dead. The police call it natural causes, but Quincy knows better. He sees it as the investigative break he’s been waiting for.
Now, caught between a crime-solving grandma, a no-nonsense detective girlfriend, and a killer who may be one step ahead, Quincy must unravel the mystery before the killer strikes again.
Simmering Secrets
by
Ang Pompano
Book Two in the Reluctant Food Columnist Series
Coming January 2027
When celebrity chef Connie Langston collapses dead during a glittering anniversary gala at the prestigious Langston Culinary Arts Academy, struggling investigative reporter Quincy Lazzaro suspects there’s more on the menu than champagne and truffle risotto.
Unfortunately, Quincy has problems of his own. He’s secretly ghostwriting a wildly successful food column under the fake name Betty Ann Green, dodging anonymous texts from someone threatening to expose him, and trying to save his friends’ beloved South Norwalk luncheonette from ruthless developers. Now, against the warnings of the police and his detective girlfriend, Quincy finds himself pulled into a world of celebrity chefs, hidden rivalries, illegal luxury ingredients, and private dinners where the ultra-wealthy will pay fortunes to consume the forbidden.
With the help of his sharp-tongued elderly neighbor Mary Ticcarelli, Quincy uncovers a web of simmering secrets stretching from elite culinary circles to dangerous underground supply networks tied to powerful people who will kill to protect their appetites.
As the bodies pile up and the anonymous watcher closes in, Quincy must decide how far he’s willing to go for the truth before his own carefully constructed life boils over.
Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Carl Hiaasen, and culinary mysteries with bite, Simmering Secrets serves up murder, dark humor, found family, and a generous helping of Connecticut coastal charm.
When It’s Time for Leaving
by Ang Pompano
The first in the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency Series
Al DeLucia walked away from the police—and his past. But when his long-lost father leaves him a detective agency in Savannah, Al finds himself trapped between family secrets and a murder on the agency’s dock. Partnered with Maxine Brophy, a fierce detective who doesn’t trust him, Al is pulled into a deadly search through Savannah and the Okefenokee Swamp—where the truth about the case, and his father, may cost him everything.
Blood Ties and Deadly Lies
by Ang Pompano
Book Two in the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency Series
Al DeLucia returns to Sachem Creek expecting a kayak race and a chance to confront his childhood bully, Abe Cromwell. Instead, he finds a dead lawyer, a web of deceit, and Abe claiming they’re brothers by DNA. Reluctantly joined by Maxine Brophy, his formidable partner and girlfriend, Al dives into a murder investigation that exposes land swindles, hidden maps, and buried family secrets. In a town where the past won’t stay buried, Al must face truths that could upend everything.
Snakeberry: Best New England Crime Stories 2025
Edited by
Christine Bagley, Susan Oleksiw, Ang Pompano, and Leslie Wheeler
Every year the anthology brings welcome surprises and satisfactions, and this year is no different, featuring stories by 21 of New England’s best crime writers.
Includes “Minnie the Air Raid Warden” by Ang Pompano.
