Trifling Matters

A lemon trifle is the Queen of England’s official ‘platinum pudding’. And if it’s good enough for the queen…Here’s a brief history of that iconic dessert.

Trifle isn’t a new thing – recipes date back as early as the 1590s. It now follows in the footsteps of coronation chicken – a dish created in honour of another major royal event, which went on to see immense popularity among the general public.

Traditionally, a trifle is three or more layers consisting of sponge cake soaked in booze (normally sherry), fruit, jelly, custard and cream. The pudding tends to be served in a glass bowl, to show off the layers.

The queen’s official version is made with lush layers of lemon curd Swiss roll, custard, jelly, mandarin coulis, and amaretti biscuits – a far cry from the earliest iterations of trifle…

The original trifle

According to food historians, in the 1500s, trifles were a lot simpler than the variations we see today – essentially made up of a light sponge soaked in booze, served with custard and whipped cream. Adding a bit of extra flavour, the cream might have been flavoured with sugar, ginger and rose water.

By the 1700s, the trifle became something a bit closer to the dish we know today, with its distinctive layers. More ingredients were added, with the dessert now including almond biscuits or macaroons soaked in sweet wine – all covered by the obligatory layers of custard and whipped cream.

In the Victorian era, it was seen as a good way of finishing up leftover ingredients – making sponge last a bit longer by soaking it in alcohol – and using up any leftover cream that would otherwise have spoiled.

In later years, fruit and jelly seemingly became an integral part of the dish, which was fast on its way to becoming the epitome of Englishness. Each era had its own spin on the classic, with the 1970s topping it with plenty of glace cherries.

Jemma Melvin

The whole idea of this pudding is whimsical and boozy – as demonstrated by some of its more endearing nicknames, including the ‘tipsy parson’, the ‘tipsy hedgehog’ and ‘tipsy cake’.

The latest iteration

Dame Mary Berry and Monica Galetti were on the judging panel deciding the queen’s official trifle.

This dessert involves layers of lemon curd Swiss roll, St Clement’s jelly, lemon custard, amaretti biscuits, mandarin coulis, fresh whipped cream, candied peel, chocolate shards and crushed amaretti biscuits.

Jemma Melvin who created the dish said her Nan taught her to bake. “My Nan’s signature dish was always a trifle; we used to call her the queen of trifles.”

The recipe will be available online via BBC Good Food.

Visit bbcgoodfood.com

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