Cranberry Trifles

It’s been a few years now that I gift Cranberry Preserves as a Xmas gift.  People love it…

Cranberry juice is popular here in Puerto Rico, but eating fresh cranberries is not.  I usually get asked by EVERY cashier at the supermarket every time I buy the Ocean Spray bags of fresh cranberries what do I make with them.  It’s super weird…   I usually explain to them that I make a jelly with them… but now I can also mention that I make these trifles too… which will bring us to a different dilemma with them – explaining what’s a trifle?

I like this recipe because it makes use of any leftover cranberry preserves you might have from Thanksgiving and looks super pretty too.  We made them last in wine glasses, but you can certainly make them in a large trifle dish too.  I got the inspiration for this dish from the Everyday Food December 2008 issue.   I like it because you can prepare some parts ahead, buy some others and just assemble… and if you purchase the pound cakes, no baking necessary.

CRANBERRY TRIFLES

2 cups of cranberry preserves – recipe here

1 loaf of pound cake – or make this recipe for egg-less yellow cake here… – cut up into 1” cubes

1 tub of whipped topping

½ cup passion fruit juice

1. In your preferred presentation dish assemble first a layer of the cranberry preserves at the bottom.
2. Then place a layer of cake cubes.  Dampen them with a little passion fruit juice using a pastry brush.                                                
3. Place a layer of cranberry preserves on top of the layer of cake.
4. Place a layer of whipped topping on top of cranberries.
5. Continue layering this same way until you reach the top of the dish you’re serving it in… finishing with the whipped topping.

Place in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.  This will allow the flavors to mix in together.

Tags: cranberries, whipped cream