A Trifle late...

My gosh... it's been ten days since I have written anything.

The start of the year, post the xmas madness, has been rather full on and emotional...

You (Nina - I am now writing this blog to you), have refused to eat from (without sounding too crass so early in the morning) my "mummy milk bottles" :-)

This has spun me totally out, as you are only 4 months old, and remembering back... with Luca I pushed on until he was 11 months old.

It's been hard work, painful (both emotionally and earlier on physically), that I have seriously pondered getting started on the bottle and save everyone the pain of tears, tantrums and frustration.
I've felt so sad to think that perhaps this is it.

Then, magically, yesterday, I decided to start you on a more consistent routine (I love a good schedule), feeding you every 4 hours, rather than every 2 and... voila', as if by magic, you decided it was boob time again!!!

Now, I know I shouldn't really be surprised.
I fell into the parenting faux pas of thinking
"this is how it's always going to be"
when suddenly it all changes!

How can things change so quickly.
Surely you should stay a tiny baby for EVER and EVER requiring the same things, for EVER and EVER (or at least until I change my mind?)

 Ahhhh... "keep up Mum, keep up" I hear you say.

So...

As I'm a Trifle late in keeping up with you little Nina, my mind wonders over to puddings.

Namely, appropriately, the bestest, ever, pudding I have learnt to make.

 

Trifle

 

I made this at Christmas, after having sampled my mum-in-laws' famous trifle, and learnt to make my own (as her recipe is a safely guarded secret).

There are a million different ways of making Trifle, with different flavours and variations, but the key is, they all have layers of various flavours and textures.

If, like me, you can get yourself a glass dish, which can show off these layers, then it can look beautiful as well as taste delicious... otherwise, it's also yummy scrummy in a deep ceramic dish, just without the visual WOW factor.

 

 

Here is how I made this Raspberry/Strawberry, very boozy version.

 

Ingredients

No measurements, just experiment and try it out

Sponge (Pavesi) Biscuits or Trifle Biscuits

Brandy

Custard (either ready made or you can make your own if you are brilliant)

Almonds

Raspberries (tinned or fresh)

Sugar

Double Cream (to whip up)

Fresh fruit (Strawberries, Raspberries, or any other fruit you like)

 

Layer 1

First, make a tight layer of biscuits at the bottom of your dish and splash them with brandy, quite generously. 

Layer 2

In a food processor, chop up the almonds with the tinned (fresh) raspberries, add sugar to your liking, if you have a sweet tooth) and a little more brandy.

Put this crunchy, sweet layer on top of the biscuits.

Layer 3

Make up your custard, until it's thick and creamy.

Pour the custard on top of your almond layer.

Layer 4

Chop the strawberries and or other fresh fruit and layer the fruit on top of the (now cooled) custard.

Layer 5

Whip up the double cream and layer this on top of the fresh fruit.

Finally

Decorate the top of the whipping cream with more strawberries or fruit.

 

Voila!