a misleading misnomer

A trifle is defined as an article or thing of very little value. I’d like to know who decided to apply that name to the elegant and tasty dessert that we all know and love—it’s just wildly inappropriate.

Here’s another thing about a trifle—while it’s gorgeous in its untouched state, all perfectly-layered and colorful, it loses a bit of its luster once you spoon some out. That’s not to say that its appearance has anything to do with its deliciousness, because it doesn’t. Sometimes the messiest stuff is the most delicious, am I right?

To me, the best thing about the trifle is that the variations are endless—you can change up the type of cake, the fruit filling, the pudding mix, the nuts, or all of the above. Three cheers for versatility!  This is an especially nice quality now that the time for New Year’s resolutions is upon us—it can be lightened in many ways to suit your Diet of Good Intentions. 

Bring on 2012!