Gingerbread and Caramel Trifle
It’s rare that I post a recipe where most of the ingredients are not home-made, but sometimes it’s just not necessary to go to the trouble. My favorite gingerbread mix is from Williams Sonoma, but I’m sure there are other great boxed mixes. I like to make my own vanilla pudding, but you can certainly use the boxed pudding mix. The only thing you should make homemade is the butterscotch sauce and whipped cream. I’ve made this trifle both in a large trifle dish, and in individual glass dishes. It’s so easy to assemble, and doesn’t have to look perfect, which is always the right answer! Enjoy this trifle any time of year, but particularly during the holiday months with a hot cup of coffee.
Ingredients
Serves 8-10
Gingerbread and Caramel Trifle:
1 gingerbread cake, made from a boxed mix or homemade
2 cups vanilla pudding, instant or homemade
1 cup butterscotch sauce (recipe follows)
2 cups heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Butterscotch Sauce:
1 stick of butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups cream
Process
Gingerbread and Caramel Trifle:
Cut the gingerbread into 1” cubes. In either a trifle dish or individual glass serving dishes, cover the bottom with gingerbread pieces. Spoon one third of the vanilla pudding over the gingerbread in dollops (doesn’t need to cover). Drizzle one third of the butterscotch sauce over the pudding and top with one third of the whipped cream. Repeat the layers two more times until you finish with the remaining whipped cream. Sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Butterscotch Sauce:
In a saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter over medium heat. Add ½ cup brown sugar and ½ cup granulated sugar. Stir until sugar is almost dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add 1 ½ cups cream and bring to a low simmer for five minutes. Turn off heat and let cool to room temperature.
