Grilled Trifle

Red White and Blue Grilled Berry Trifle

Fun and fantastic, this is a grilling addicts dream - a cool sweet dessert with grilled angel food cake and fire kissed fresh berries.... mmm!

1 angel food cake
1 recipe Crème Anglaise or your favorite custard - sauce or pudding
1 cup each: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
1/2 pint whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
1/4 cup Grand Mariner (optional)
Bamboo skewers
Additional sliced strawberries for garnish

The night before assembly, cut cake into chunks and leave out on a baking rack overnight to dry.  This helps prevent sticking to the grill.  Barbecuing angel food cake is a snap - and takes a blink or two.  With long tongs, put two chunks of cake on the grill at a time, turning every 30 seconds or so until each side has slight char marks, golden, not black.  If you do get a little blackening, don't worry about it, a little will be fine.  Grill all pieces and allow to cool completely.

Thread berries on bamboo skewers, prepare a grill basket by buttering lightly.  Grill berries gently, using skewers to turn once or twice, then transfer quickly to grill basket and cook another minute more to soften.  Chill berries.

Whip cream to soft peaks with sugar as desired.  Tear cake into walnut size pieces.  Using a trifle bowl or deep serving dish, assemble trifle. Begin with a layer of cake, sprinkle each cake layer lightly with a bit of Grand Mariner, if using. Continue by building layers ~ berries, custard, cake, berries custard... reserve some berries for garnish, but be sure to end with custard covered berries.  Top with whipped cream and garnish with reserved berries.  Serve chilled.