INSPIRED...Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Cherry Trifle!

I LOVE watching the Food Network....I have my favourites...Jamie, Michael, Anna, Ina and of course the Domestic Goddess Nigella(see how I use just their first names...like close friends....how little they know!!) I love watching Nigella cook/bake...and putter away in her kitchen...just seeing her wall to wall bookshelves makes me swoon.....I think she is great!! She makes mistakes and admits to that...she is not perfect...NO chef is...she shows her faults...actually, if I think about this for a moment......all the chefs that I admire do show their faults! (Huh.....I learnt something new today....see what happens when you Blog!!) I have all of Nigella's cookbooks...they sit proudly with my other books on my kitchen counter! Its soothing to see my books, neatly in a row...close to the coffee maker!!

Hubby loves Nigella too....so for Fathers Day and his Birthday cause it follows a few days later....I decided to make Nigella's Chocolate Cherry Trifle! I have made it before...followed every instruction to a T and felt AWESOME and PROUD when it was all finished! I too was like Nigella(however less bosomy) and drooled over my Trifle......so did Hubby!!! But this time around...being on a time crunch and with three kids to entertain...I cheated with her recipe!!! And you know what.....friends who hadn't sampled the original recipe thought that my verison was the best that they ever had! So....you know that I just had to share it..........anyone can do it!!

Nigella INSPIRED Chocolate Cherry Trifle@Sherry Watton

Once everything is made….it is quite like an assembly line….I had the kids helping me!! Plus….there was some leftovers…which the KIDS LOVED even more!!!  Trifles have layers…..first is a Chocolate Cake…second is the Cherry…third is the Pudding…the fourth is the Cool Whip….then a light dusting of Chocolate Shavings(or in my case…I only had Chocolate Sprinkles).

First off……you can buy two Chocolate Pound Cakes from your local store…if you cant find that(and at times I cannot) I just use a Chocolate Cake Mix(use what you like…) follow the Box’s directions and make the cake…let it cool before slicing it!!!

Cherry Layer……for me it was Cherry Pie Filling(E.D. Smith…540ml)

Pudding Layer….I made two boxes of Chocolate Fudge Pudding(Jello Brand…each box was 114grams) and chilled in the fridge while the cake was baking.

Cool Whip layer….use what YOU like….I used the Fat Free…made me feel slightly healthy! Just make sure that it is thawed!

By now the cake is made and cooled….I use whatever LARGE size bowl that I have…I have a nice glass bowl for showing off….but this time since we were going to the cottage, I used a glass mixing bowl with a lid!! So…the point is….use what you have!!!

I sliced the cake in rows and pressed them up around the bowl….basically mirroring the bowl’s shape….of course there will be leftovers…I used the inside rows and left the outside rows of the cake for the kids!

Next I spooned in the Cherry Filling…trying to get it up all the sides…it gets messy…but that’s the fun part…..especially with kids helping!!

Chocolate Pudding.…well set and chilled and ready to be the next layer…spoon  the Pudding over the Cherry Layer….by now its filling up nicely…and on your fingers too….and REMEMBER there will be leftovers….ideal for a treat/dessert for the kids!!!

Lastly, fill the top with Cool Whip……I leave some edges of the Chocolate Cake/Pudding showing….I guess I like it rustic! Make some curves and wurves …..then a light dusting of Chocolate Shavings…or... if YOU are like me…who had NONE….I used Chocolate Sprinkles!!

Chill over night…..make it a day ahead…so it can all marry and mingle and become ONE!!

Enjoy!!