If you’re a Friends fan, you’ll remember that episode when Rachel’s trifle recipe was a Thanksgiving dessert nightmare. Not sure what was going on through her head when she decided to combine all of those flavors together. Even if cooking wasn’t Rachel’s sharpest skill, I was shocked and think she could have at least taken out a couple of things to make the dessert edible.
You might feel a bit disgusted simply by remembering her recipe. But don’t worry, I am sharing a tastier version of Rachel’s dessert so that you can actually enjoy a yummy trifle while making a good joke 😁.
After trying this recipe, you’ll notice it’s delicious because it has all kinds of sweets and textures. This is a perfect Thanksgiving dessert because it’s very easy to make, and you won’t need to use the oven to bake it! Moreover, if you have a hand mixer, it’ll take you a few minutes, even using our homemade recipe for the custard and the whipped cream.
What did Rachel from Friends put in the trifle?
Monica was too busy prepping everything for Thanksgiving and gave Rachel the task to come up with a dessert. For some reason, the cookbook that Rachel used had some pages stuck together and this appeared to make a “Frankenstein dish”: half English trifle and half shepherd’s pie.
Without realizing this unfortunate incident, Rachel made a silly mistake and ended up adding beef, chickpeas, and onions as layers in her English trifle recipe.
I tried the “original” recipe, and it tasted awful! I don’t know how I gave it any chance. I don’t want to go through the same experience, so I adapted the recipe to create a more palatable dessert. Moreover, it looks like Rachel’s English trifle, so that it will get you some fun too!
Rachel’s English trifle from Friends (tastier version)
Equipment
- Mixer
Ingredients
- 5 cups of ladyfingers or any porous cookie
- 1½ cups of raspberries
- 1½ bananas, sliced
- 1 jar of raspberry jam (about 2 cups)
Custard
- 1⅔ cup of whole milk
- ½ cup of whipping cream
- 1 tsp of clear liquid vanilla
- 6 egg yolks
- ¾ cup of sugar
- 5 tbsps of cornstarch (remember to sift it).
Whipped cream
- 1½ cup whipping cream
- 1½ tsp clear liquid vanilla
- ½ cup powdered sugar
"Beef"
- Dark granola or brownie or crushed dark cookies
- Green sprinkles or green round candy
Instructions
- Start with the custard. Put whole milk and whipping cream to low heat, add clear liquid vanilla and mix until it boils.
- Beat the egg yolks with sugar until you get a uniform mixture. Then, sift and add cornstarch to thicken the custard. Now beat the mixture until it incorporates all the ingredients.
- Then, add a bit of the warm and milky mixture to complete the custard. Stir gently and slowly so that the egg yolks in the mix don't cook too fast. Once the mixture is warm, you can mix both parts of the custard in the pan at low heat. Don't stop stirring the mix to stop it from getting too thick.
- Transfer the custard when it is ready to a container to let it cool. Cover with plastic wrap, placing it in contact with the custard. Taking this step will prevent the surface from forming a slightly hard crust. Once the custard is at room temperature, stick it in the fridge for 30 mins.
- Put the whipping cream into a chilled bowl. Then, add powdered sugar slowly while beating the mix energetically. Remember to add clear liquid vanilla extract too, but don't stop whipping!
- With the custard and the whipped cream done, it's time to build the trifle. Place the ladyfingers in the bottom of a large trifle dish. Then add a thick layer of raspberry jam to cover to ladyfingers. Spread it well to ensure there aren't any holes.
- Add a thick layer of custard, covering the raspberry jam completely. Then, add a layer of raspberries, other ladyfingers layer. Now, instead of the disgusting original recipe, add crushed dark cookies and green round candies.
- To finish, add another layer of custard, a layer of sliced bananas, and top with whipped cream. It's done! You can serve and enjoy your English trifle
Video
If you liked this Rachel’s Friends trifle recipe, you might like some of my other recipes too.
And remember, if you try this recipe and want to share your pictures, tag me @lacooquette on Instagram. I’d love to share your pictures on my IG stories.
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