The classic English trifle layers sponge cake, fruit, and custard.  On Easter Sunday, I used a traditional Cajun bouillie (egg custard) plus some Louisiana strawberries, excellent balsamic vinegar and angelfood cake, to create dessert with a little local flair.  The oh-so Italian combination of balsamico and strawberries saves the trifle from unbearable sweetness; toasted almonds add textural interest and a nutty counterpoint complementing the berries.

Try your own variation with blackberries and nutmeg-spiked custard, or blueberries and lemon custard.

Strawberry bouillie trifle

• 1 quart local strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 2 T (best quality you can afford) balsamic vinegar
• 1-3 T sugar, to taste
• 1/2 of an angelfood cake or pound cake, cubed into bite-sized pieces
• 1 recipe homemade bouillie (egg and cornstarch custard; see recipe here), flavored with almond extract, cooled to room temperature
• 1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds (or toasted almond flour)
• optional:  whipped cream, to garnish
• equipment:  deep glass trifle dish or deep bowl

Place sliced berries in a mixing bowl; add sugar to taste and balsamic vinegar.  Stir and set aside to macerate for 10 minutes.  In a deep trifle dish or bowl, spread a single layer of cake cubes to cover the bottom of the dish.  Add a layer of sliced strawberries and a few tablespoons of the collected balsamic juice mixture.  Next, sprinkle on a few sliced almonds (or a few teaspoons toasted almond flour), then spread a layer of custard atop.  Repeat the cake, fruit/juices, almond, and custard layers until the dish is filled or you run out of ingredients.   Top with whipped cream if desired; sprinkle with almonds for contrast.  Refrigerate for several hours before serving.