Trifle When I was working on my friend Shawna's bridal shower, we decided to have an Afternoon Tea. I found a recipe for Trifle, and prepared it. Yummy stuff. It's really easy, and it serves a crowd, and looks impressive without taking you all day. Ingredients 4 packages ladyfingers (or one pound cake or sponge cake) 1 package vanilla cook-and-serve pudding 3 cups milk 1 pint raspberries 1 pint strawberries 1 can chopped peaches in light syrup 1 pint whipping cream 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 cup sherry (optional) Not to be Confused With Truffles Line the bottom of the trifle bowl with a layer of ladyfingers. Place ladyfingers vertically around the inside of the bowl...one row around the bottom and another row above this. If you are using pound cake or sponge cake, slice thinly and layer in the bottom of the bowl and then around the inside as well. Essentially, you are lining the entire bowl with cake of some kind. Reserve enough cake to use as a second layer (about 3 slices of cake or 6 ladyfingers.) Sprinkle with the sherry if you are using it. Prepare the vanilla pudding according to the package directions using the milk. Cool thoroughly. In a medium bowl, whip the cream on high speed with a hand mixer, adding 1/4 cup of sugar gradually. When the cream is whipped stiff, add vanilla. Layer half the raspberries, strawberries, and peaches into the bottom of the trifle bowl. Pour half the cooled pudding over the fruit. Layer half the whipped cream over the pudding. Add a second layer of ladyfingers or cake slices, and repeat the layers of fruit, pudding, and whipped cream. Chill overnight. Notes and Hints and Stuff Where can I find a Trifle bowl? I looked all over for one last fall, and ended up using a glass punch bowl instead. I finally found Trifle bowls at...JoAnn Fabrics. They were in with the glassware/glass etching section. Go figure. Your snobbier kitchen stores should have them, too. And what are ladyfingers? They're like little cakey cookies that might aspire to be Twinkies when they grow up. They're little oval sponge cakes, basically. I know they can be had at some Fred Meyer stores in the regular cookie section. Look around, the bigger or more "upscale" grocery stores should carry them. Sherry? Trifle is traditionally made with sherry. I've used Drambuie (great if you're using raspberries), sherry, brandy, and plain rum in various trifles. Or, you can leave out the booze altogether. I hate raspberries (or strawberries, or peaches...) Pick some fruit you do like. Blueberries, blackberries, marionberries, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, and bananas all work reasonably well. Avoid melons - too mooshy. Apples, probably not so good in this particular one either. You could try a variation with applesauce instead of pudding if you were feeling really adventurous. Hm...apple pie filling instead... Help me cut calories! - Fat-free whipped topping instead of regular - Fat-free milk when making the pudding - Sugar-free pudding instead of regular - Find a light or fat-free pound cake, or use angelfood cake - Omit any alcohol