When you’re planning a cookout for the Fourth of July, you consider making a wide range of crowd-pleasing grilled entrees and sides. As any baking and pastry arts student knows, however, dessert can be just as important for arranging the perfect holiday gathering. A berry trifle is the ideal summer treat for the occasion, a cold, colorful classic that will place the perfect topper on your Independence Day feast.
Great dessert is no trifling matter
“Making a trifle starts with selecting the mix of colors and flavors.”
Making the traditional English combination of cake and fruit starts with selecting what colors and flavors you want in the mix. To maximize the patriotic look in honor of the holiday, you might choose to bring together the red of strawberries, the blue of blueberries and the white of angel food cake. For maximum redness and fruit flavor, Once Upon a Chef suggested combining warmed raspberry jam with the fresh berries.
If you allow the mixture to rest during the remaining preparation, stirring occasionally, you’ll have a tasty syrup to tie the dessert together. Plus, guests will be impressed with the added touch of presentation.
You may want to create your own fresh cake for the trifle so you can perfectly customize the flavor and texture to complement the fruity ingredients. However, there’s no shame in keeping things simple by picking up a pre-made cake or mix at the store.
Assembling a Fourth of July favorite
Berry trifles are easy to make ahead of time by following a recipe like the one provided by Tyler Florence, who throws in lemon juice for added summer taste. His directions call for placing berries tossed in the juice in a saucepan with sugar, cornstarch and even more juice over medium-high heat. After three minutes or so, the berries will start breaking down and releasing their own juices.
Set the berries aside to cool and thicken. In a bowl, whip cream with sugar and vanilla extract. Use a separate bowl to gradually fold the whipped cream into lemon curd.
Place a spoonful of the lemon cream in a large glass bowl. Break up a pound, lady finger or angel food cake to create a layer atop the cream. Then, add a layer of berries in their juices. Repeat to create three or four more layers before finishing off the dish with one last layer of cream. Cover the trifle and refrigerate for at least one hour, or until it’s time to serve dessert at your barbecue.
A holiday cookout is all about gathering people together to have a great time. A delicious, cool dessert is a fantastic way to wrap up the event of the summer for your friends and family. Students pursuing an online culinary arts certificate will discover a variety of ways to customize the look and combination of tastes in this warm weather treat.
