Patriotic Layered Trifles
After a very full holiday weekend and Independence Day, I thought it might be nice to share a classic family dessert that we have been sharing on this summer holiday for about ten years now. It’s something that my mom started making, and now I love to make it every year to share. It’s the perfect simple sweet to wow your guests, and it whips up pretty quickly, too. In terms of cooking skills, you don’t need many. Just layer everything up in a jar, and you are done. You can choose any type of fruit you want to place on top, but I like the combination of strawberries, bananas, and crushed pineapple the best as the crushed pineapple has sweet juice to mix into the frosting and graham cracker crust.
ingredients & recipe:
MAKES ABOUT 8 PINT JARS OR 9X13 CAKE PAN
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about half of one 14oz box)
1/2 cup of butter, melted
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2-4 tbsp milk
pinch of salt
3-4 bananas, sliced
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups strawberries, chopped
2 cups blueberries
whipped cream & maraschino cherries for topping
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan.
In the pan, mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter with a spatula until thoroughly combined. Press down flat into the pan and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place in the freezer for another 10 minutes to allow it to set.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter. Incorporate the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Begin to add milk until the frosting has reached a consistency that you like. I like mine to be able to run a bit off of a spoon.
Once the graham cracker crust is set, you can either leave it in the pan or transfer it into mason jars. Put a layer of crust down first, evenly divided among the 8 jars. To make it into a cake, apply the layers as listed below.
Evenly divide the frosting among the 8 jars. Then add bananas, crushed pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries. Evenly divide them as best as possible!
Top with whipped cream, leftover graham cracker crumbles, and a maraschino cherry. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
So cute, right? This dessert is extremely addicting and so delicious. You will love the frosting and graham cracker crust combination. I love that it’s a refrigerated dessert because it tastes so good after a hot afternoon spent in the sun watching the Fourth of July parade.
I hope that you all had a lovely weekend, wherever you are! Enjoy this dessert at your next summer gathering.
xoxo Kayla
