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Cakes and Tea

Kathleen's Blog

September 2016 -  The Glories of Pastry Cream and Family Trifle

9/2/2016

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If you like eclairs, Napoleons, or Boston Cream Pie, you are most likely enamored of pastry cream. Golden from egg yolks, creamy, and usually vanilla-scented, pastry cream (also known by its French name, Crème Patisserie or as you get familiar with this culinary friend, “Crème Pat”) is a delicious building block in the dessert recipe stash. It adds a creamy, rich element to desserts involving fruit and pastry. For example: a thick layer of pastry cream is covered with a mosaic of fruit in the best fresh fruit tarts, delicate cream cakes layer pastry cream, fruit, and clouds of whipped cream, creating a rich and creamy confection. 
​
While making pastry cream is not difficult, it is a rather exacting formula. Using different recipes, I’ve gotten wildly different results. Some recipes used flour and cornstarch to thicken, some recipes used one or the other, some cooking up thin as a sauce, while others cooked up gummy or gloppy. Searching the internet for a good, all-purpose pastry cream, I found pastry chef Stella Parks’ recipe.  She wittily likens its versatility to that of a basic but classic cable knit sweater: it goes with everything. She also suggests some interesting flavoring ideas and creative uses. Carefully follow her recipe and you will be rewarded with an abundance of silky, rich pastry cream. Find her well-written recipe here:  http://bravetart.com/recipes/CremePat
 
Picture

​In our family, the favorite fruit/pastry cream/cake dessert is the Trifle. Trifle is actually more of an 
assemblage piece than an actual recipe. A layered dessert made in a deep glass bowl or straight-sided glass trifle bowl showcasing the contrasting colors and textures of all elements.  You gather up the best fruits of the season, some jam, some liqueur, some cake, and pastry cream. All parts can be made in advance. The entire trifle can be made up to two days before serving, making a big trifle a perfect center piece dessert for a party. Traditionally, the  British serve it at a festive Christmas dinner. That version uses sponge cake or pound cake, “crème pat,” frozen strawberries, sherry, all finished off with a deep drift of whipped cream and possibly silver dragées or slivered almonds on top.
 
Though the American version most often feature spring and summer fruit, thrifles are infinitely variable to fit any season. One can find four trifle recipes on our website, www.myteaplanner.com :  Christmas Trifle, Chocolate Trifle, Peach Raspberry Trifle, and Gingerbread Trifle with Leftover Pie. All are delicious.
 
Here is the blueprint for our go-to trifle.
 
Murdock Family Trifle
 
Since trifle bowls come in various sizes, quantity and thickness of layers will differ. Embrace this, knowing each trifle will be perfectly unique!
 
1 loaf or round pound cake or two layers white or yellow cake
Approximately 1/4 cup liqueur
Approximately ½ cup jam
3 to 4 cups prepared seasonal fruit plus additional for garnishing top
3 to 5 cups cooled pastry cream
Garnish: 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
 
Special equipment: Trifle bowl or other deep, clear glass bowl, serrated knife, cutting board
 
Makes one trifle, serving about 10 to 12 portions

  1. Gather all ingredients on work surface. With serrated knife, trim a layer of cake about ½ inch thick to fit into bottom of bowl.
  2. Sprinkle with liqueur.
  3. Spread with a layer of jam.
  4. Spread about 1 cup of pastry cream.
  5. Arrange a layer of fruit over pastry cream, making sure fruit looks attractive, as seen through side of bowl.
  6. Repeat Steps 1 through 5, until you run out of ingredients or reach top of bowl.
  7. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving time, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
  8. To serve: Top with whipped cream and serve immediately. Chill covered leftovers promptly up to two days.
 
To assist you in making your own, unique trifle, here is a chart of complementary flavors. Feel free to mix and match according to your tastes.
 
 Spring Fruit:
         Cake: Pound, Yellow Cake, White Cake
         Liqueur: Orange-flavored
         Jam: Berry or Lemon Curd
         Fruit: Strawberries, Kiwi, Cooked Rhubarb
 
Summer Fruit:
         Cake: Pound Cake
         Liqueur: Cherry-flavored
         Jam: Apricot
         Fruit: Peaches, Apricots, Cherries, Berries
 
Fall Flavors:
         Cake: Spice Cake, Gingerbread, Applesauce Cake
         Liqueur: Brandy, Sherry, Rum
         Jam: Apple Butter
         Fruit: Poached Apples or Pears
 
Holiday:
         Cake: Pound Cake
         Liqueur: Amaretto, Frangelico, Sherry, Brandy
         Jam: Raspberry, Apricot
         Fruit: Frozen Raspberries, Bottled Cherries
 
Chocolate:
         Cake: Chocolate Cake, Mocha Cake
         Liqueur: Kahlua, Brandy, Crème de Cacao
         Jam: Cherry or omit
         Fruit: Bottled Cherries or omit

​
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Copyright © 2015 by Epilogics
  • Home
  • About/Blog
    • Who We Are
    • Our Credentials
    • Tea Travels - Rose's Blog
    • Cakes and Tea - Kathleen's Blog
    • Contact Us
  • The Tea Book
    • The Road Back to Civilization
    • A Brief History of Tea
    • Philosophy of Tea >
      • Harmony
      • Humility
      • Respect
      • Creativity
    • Guidelines for the Host/Hostess >
      • Gathering and Greeting
      • Sharing Stories
      • Sharing Food
      • Sending the Guests Home
    • Guidelines for the Guest >
      • Respect Your Hostess/Host
      • Bring a Gift if You Wish
      • Practice Humility
      • Monitor Your Conversation
      • Arrive with a Grateful Attitude
      • Help if Help is Needed
      • Do Not Criticize
      • Leave Gracefully
      • Send a Thank You Note
    • A Checklist for Planning a Tea Party
    • Teas of the World and How to Make Tea >
      • A Sampling of Teas
      • Herbal Teas and Tisanes
      • How to Make Tea
      • Making Iced Tea
      • Tea Concentrate
      • Brewing Tea for a Crowd
    • Tea Utensils and Accessories >
      • Tea Kettle
      • Tea Pot
      • Tea Cozy
      • Teacups
      • Plates
      • Silverware
      • Teacart
      • Tea Strainer
      • Tea Infuser
      • Three-Tiered Server
      • Cream Pitcher and Sugar Bowl
      • Cake Pedestal
      • Trifle Bowl
      • Jam Pots
      • Serving Dishes, Platters, and Trays
      • Silver Tea Set or Silver Tray
      • Linens
      • Kitchen Equipment for Food Preparation
    • Tea Menu Basics >
      • Sandwiches and Savories
      • Savory Spreads and Dips
      • Scones and Tea Breads >
        • About Lemons
    • Afternoon Tea and the Four Seasons >
      • A Spring Tea
      • An Outdoor Summer Tea
      • An Autumn Afternoon Tea
      • A Winter Afternoon Tea
    • A Calendar of Tea Parties >
      • January: A Japanese New Year’s Tea
      • February: A Valentine’s Day Tea
      • March: A St. Patrick’s Day Irish Tea
      • April: An Easter Tea
      • May: A Mother’s Day Tea
      • June: A Wedding Reception Tea >
        • Lemon Yogurt Wedding Cake
      • July: A Picnic Tea
      • August: A Family Reunion Tea >
        • A North American Family Reunion Tea
        • An Eastern Mediterranean Family Reunion Tea
        • A Kosher Family Reunion Tea
        • A Scandinavian Family Reunion Tea
      • September: An Ozark Farm Harvest Tea
      • October: A Tea to Honor Our Ancestors (Dia de los Muertos)
      • November: A Post Thanksgiving Tea
      • December: A Christmas Tea >
        • In Defense of Fruitcake: Fruitcakes and Candied Fruit
    • A World of Tea Parties >
      • A Chinese Dim Sum Tea
      • A Portuguese Tea
      • A Classic British Afternoon Tea
      • An Indian Chai Party
      • A California Tea
      • A Hawaiian Tea
      • An Italian Tea
      • An American Southern Tea
      • A Russian Tea
      • A French Afternoon Tea
      • A Kosher Tea with Tradional Jewish Foods
    • Afternoon Tea for Special Occasions >
      • An Afternoon Tea for Children
      • A Tea for Our Elders
      • A Honey Bee Tea in the Garden
      • An Urban Tea on the Go
      • Tea for One
      • Afternoon Tea for a Large Group
      • A Vegan Tea
      • A Rose Tea
  • Purchase Recipes
  • Resources
    • Bibliography and Resources
    • Menu and Recipe Index
    • Commercial Food Products
    • Glossary