Thanksgiving from Friends: Rachel's Trifle and the Turkey

Thanksgiving from Friends: Rachel's Trifle and the Turkey

The Friends Thanksgiving episodes are television history. Rachel's trifle with meat sauce and peas (from mixed-up cookbook pages) is a culinary disaster that became a meme. But a proper trifle is one of the best British desserts.

History and origin

Trifle is a traditional British dessert from the 18th century, made in layers of sponge, jelly, custard and whipped cream. In Friends, Rachel accidentally combined the trifle recipe with a shepherd's pie recipe — producing a culinary nightmare.

Key ingredients

A proper trifle: sponge fingers or sliced cake soaked in sherry or orange juice, a layer of fruit jelly, egg-yolk custard, a layer of whipped cream. Decorate with berries and flaked almonds.

How to cook at home

For beautiful trifle layers, use a clear glass trifle bowl or individual glasses — the layers must be visible. Let the jelly set completely before adding the next layer or it will mix with the cream.

This recipe will transport you to the atmosphere of your favourite film or series right at your dining table.