What Is A Raspberry Trifle?

Summary

In this video, the host explores an 18th-century American trifle recipe from Amelia Simmons's 1797 cookbook, which was directly borrowed from Hannah Glass's earlier work. The trifle, a light dessert made from biscuit, wine-soaked rusks, custard, syllab, and fruit garnish, is an indulgence for the middle and upper classes of the time. The host walks through the process of making rusks, custard, and syllab, while discussing historical fruit sourcing and the significance of trifles. A fun, multi-layered dessert that highlights the joy of cooking with historical techniques and flavors.

Takeaways

• 😀 The trifle is a traditional dessert with origins dating back to the 16th century, featuring layers of biscuit, wine, custard, whipped topping, and fruit.
• 😀 The recipe featured in the video is sourced from Amelia Simmons' 1797 cookbook, which was nearly identical to a recipe in Hannah Glass's earlier work.
• 😀 A trifle is a rich and layered dessert that was often enjoyed by middle and upper classes in the 18th century due to its expensive ingredients like cream, sugar, and eggs.
• 😀 The word 'trifle' suggests a light, simple, and sometimes whimsical dessert, with its meaning evolving over centuries.
• 😀 Black raspberries, which were handpicked from the woods, serve as the garnish for the trifle, showcasing the seasonal availability of fruits in the 18th century.
• 😀 Street vendors in the 18th century would bring fresh fruits like raspberries into cities, providing access to seasonal ingredients even in urban areas.
• 😀 The trifle recipe includes rusks or sweet biscuits, spiced cake, or broken rusk soaked in wine, followed by custard and a syllabub topping.
• 😀 Making the trifle involves creating multiple components: rusks, custard, syllabub, and a topping of fruit or flowers.
• 😀 The rusks are made by combining butter, sugar, flour, milk, and liquid yeast, resulting in a dense, sweet biscuit-like base.
• 😀 The custard is created by warming cream with cinnamon, sweetening it, and tempering eggs to form a smooth, not-too-thick custard.
• 😀 The syllabub topping is made with egg whites, lemon zest, sweet wine, and heavy cream, whisked to create a light, frothy topping for the dessert.
• 😀 Assembling the trifle involves layering the rusks with wine, pouring in the custard, adding the syllabub, and finishing with a garnish of fresh fruit like black raspberries.

Q & A

What is the origin of the trifle recipe used in the video?

The trifle recipe used in the video comes from Amelia Simmons's cookbook from 1797. However, it is essentially a copy of a similar recipe found in Hannah Glass's cookbook, which was written 30 to 50 years earlier.

Why does the presenter refer to the trifle as a 'flighty' dish?

The term 'flighty' is used to describe the trifle as a light, airy, and somewhat whimsical dessert. It is a dish that has evolved over time, and in the 18th century, it became a more intricate dessert with multiple layers and flavors.

How has the trifle evolved in terms of ingredients over time?

Initially, trifles were simpler desserts, often involving sweet biscuits soaked in wine, custard, and a topping like whipped cream. By the 18th century, the dish became more elaborate, incorporating ingredients like cream, sugar, and eggs, which were expensive and not commonly available to the lower classes.

What fruit is used to garnish the trifle, and where does it come from?

The trifle is garnished with black raspberries, which the presenter personally picked from the wild. These berries are at the tail end of their season, and in the 18th century, such wild fruits were commonly sold by street vendors in cities.

What does the trifle's recipe suggest about the availability of fruits in the 18th century?

In the 18th century, fruits like black raspberries would have been available in cities through vendors who brought them from rural areas. This shows how seasonal fruits were a key part of the dessert culture at the time.

What is the role of rusks in the trifle recipe?

Rusks in the trifle recipe act as a base layer that is soaked in sweet wine before being topped with custard and other layers. Rusks are essentially dry, sweet biscuits, and their purpose is to provide structure and flavor to the trifle.

What is the process for making rusks in the video?

To make rusks, the presenter combines butter, sugar, and flour to form a dough, which is then rested and baked into small biscuit shapes. These biscuits are then used in the trifle as a key component.

How is the custard prepared for the trifle?

The custard is made by warming cream with cinnamon, then sweetening it. Eggs are tempered and slowly added to the warm cream mixture, stirring continuously until it reaches a soft custard consistency. The key is to avoid making it too thick.

What is syllabub, and how does it contribute to the trifle?

Syllabub is a light, frothy topping made from whipped egg whites, lemon zest, sweet wine, and cream. It adds an airy, fluffy texture to the trifle, complementing the rich custard and wine-soaked rusks.

What makes this 18th-century trifle recipe particularly enjoyable to make?

The trifle recipe is enjoyable because it involves creating multiple components—rusks, custard, and syllabub—which gives the cook a chance to engage with different cooking techniques. Additionally, it highlights the fun of making a historically rich dish, allowing for creativity and a shared cooking experience.