Sweet Trifles With a Twist

Trifles With a Twist Recipes:

• Jumbleberry Trifle
• Strawberry-Sugar Biscuit Trifle
• Tropical Rum Trifle
• Brownie Trifle

Intimidated by the thought of making a trifle? Chill out--they're really easy. Find a glass salad bowl, wine goblets, or just a big ol' mixing bowl, and give these layered desserts a try.

Lorraine Schumacher of Glendale, Missouri, stepped out of the box--or trifle dish, as the case may be--with a clever makeover that she calls Jumbleberry Trifle. The classic version of the dessert combines sherry-soaked pound cake with cooked custard and fruit. Lorraine created her version by layering bite-size pound cake sandwiches with a two-ingredient, no-cook custard and a sauce prepared from frozen fruits.

Inspired by Lorraine's creativity, Test Kitchens professional Laura Martin and I were off and layering. We combined rum-soaked pound cake with tropical fruits and strawberries with sugared biscuits. The results were wonderful. For chocolate lovers, reader Sara Nichols offers a recipe combining brownies with white chocolate pudding. No matter which trifle you make, be sure to chill it well--this allows the flavors to blend together.

Which Dish?
Trifle recipes traditionally prepared in a large bowl can be assembled in individual serving glasses. Look under the recipe title for the number of servings; you'll need about that many glasses. For example, if the recipe makes 12 servings, you'll need 12 glasses.