A Taste of Haldimand – January 16, 2025

To celebrate the new year, I host a group of friends for a potluck lunch. Nothing beats starting the new year surrounded by friendship, food, and laughter.

My contribution to this lunch was dessert. My niece Ruthanne gave me a recipe years ago for chocolate trifle. When I asked Ruthanne the origin of this dessert, she really couldn’t remember. I needed to check the recipe with her, because my notes were brief and it seemed so simple. Ruthanne confirmed it by saying, “That’s the recipe – very much a wing it kinda thing!” Don’t you just love those simple and easy dishes? It’s a bonus that it looks fabulous in a glass trifle bowl.

I derive a great sense of satisfaction baking and cooking from scratch. For this reason, I usually don’t use cake mixes but bake my own.

My go-to chocolate cake recipe is from the classic cookbook “Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook” with the red plaid cover. This has been a reference guide for me most of my adult life. I have shared the cake recipe used for the trifle.

Another dessert from my files that also uses cake and whipping cream as a base is called “A Light Dessert”. This recipe is perfect for a large gathering but can be easily halved. With the fruit and coloured marshmallows it looks so nice in a clear serving dish. Enjoy!