I'd like to make a trifle for Christmas dinner and, although I have a
couple of good trifle recipes (see below), I do *so* hate to repeat
myself. Anyone have a particularly *pretty* and *tasty* trifle recipe
that would be a good counterpoint to my Yule Log (also see below)?

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Chocolate, Cranberry And Ginger Trifle

desserts

Cranberry Filling:

2 12 ounce bag cranberries
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange peel; grated
1 teaspoon ginger; grated
1/2 cup crystallized ginger; chopped

Chocolate Pudding

1 3/4 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 ounces semisweet chocolate; chopped
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/2 cup crystallized ginger; chopped
1 3/4 cups whipping cream; chilled
Assembly:
1 16 ounce pound cake
9 tablespoons Grand Marnier

For Filling: Combine first 5 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan.
Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until cranberries
pop, stirring occasionally, about 5 mins. Mix in crystallized ginger.
Cover and refrigerate until cold.

For Pudding: Bring milk to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove
from heat. Using electric mixer, beat yolks and sugar in medium bowl
until very thick, about 3 mins. Add cornstarch; beat to blend.
Gradually beat in hot milk. Return mixture to saucepan; whisk over
medium heat until pudding thickens and comes to a boil, about 3 mins.
(pudding will be very thick). Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk
until melted and mixture is smooth. Mix in Grand Marnier. Transfer to
medium bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding. Chill
until cold, about 3 hours. (Filling and pudding can be made 1 day
ahead. Chill.)

Mix crystallized ginger into pudding. Beat cream in large bowl until
firm peaks form. Set aside 1 1/2 C. whipped cream. Fold remaining
whipped cream into pudding in 2 additions.

For Assembly: Cover bottom of 8" diameter trifle bowl with single
layer of cake pieces, turning crusts away from sides of bowl Sprinkle
with 3 T. Grand Marnier. Spread 2 C. cranberry filling over cake to
sides of bowl. Spread 1 1/4 C. pudding over cranberry filling to sides
of bowl. Repeat layering 2 more times (reserve remaining chocolate
pudding for another use).

Spread 1 1/2 C. whipped cream over trifle, building up whipped cream
edges slightly. Spoon remaining filing atop whipped cream (but not
atop whipped cream edges). Cover and chill at least 4 hours. (Can be
made 8 hours ahead. Chill.)

Contributor: Bon Appetit

Yield: 15 servings

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Trifle

desserts

pound cake
berries
jam; same as berries
American golden custard
whipped cream
sherry

Cut cake to fit trifle bowl and soak with sherry (about 1/2 cup). Let
sit overnight. Cook custard according to directions and chill. Shortly
before serving, spread jam on cake, cover with jam, spread custard
over jam and top with whipped cream. Top with berries.

Contributor: Anne Hughes

Yield: 12 servings

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Yule Log (Boche De Noel)

desserts

1 cup cake flour; sifted
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Drambuie
chocolate butter cream frosting:
1/2 cup butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 15"x10" jelly roll pan; line pan with
waxed paper and grease paper. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and
salt together, set aside. Beat eggs at high speed until thick and
light yellow in color. Beat in granulated sugar a tablespoon at a
time, beating constantly, until mixture is very thick. Beat in water
and vanilla; fold in sifted dry ingredients until blended. Spread the
batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake at 375F for 10 mins. or until center springs back when touched
lightly with finger. DO NOT OVERCOOK!

Loosen cake around the pan edges using a sharp knife. Invert pan onto
waxed paper dusted with confectioner's sugar.

Spread with cream filling. Roll jelly-roll fashion into a log. Place
on serving plate. Cut a 1/2" thick slice from one end of the cake and
shape it for a "knot" on the log.

Cream Filling:

Combine cream with sugar and beat at medium speed until peaks form;
gradually beat in Drambuie.

Chocolate butter cream frosting:

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan and cool slightly. Combine
sugar, milk and vanilla in bowl; slowly beat into chocolate mixture
and beat until frosting is smooth and easy to spread.

To finish, frost cake roll. Draw the tines of a fork lengthwise
through frosting to resemble "bark" on a tree. Press the "know" into
the side and frost. Sprinkle ends of the roll with the chopped nuts.

Yield: 12 servings

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"