Iced raspberry and peach trifle

You can’t get quicker than this for a pretty, colorful, and tasty party dessert.

* Serves 4

• 4 pieces of pound cake, chopped
• 4 to 8 tbsp. sherry or Marsala
• 7 to 8 tbsp. raspberry jelly
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 2 firm ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream, softening
• 1 cup whipped heavy cream
• fresh raspberries and peach slices, to decorate

Crumble the cake into the base of 4 glass serving dishes or glasses. Sprinkle the sherry or Marsala evenly over the cake.

Combine the jelly and raspberries, then spoon over the cake. Top with the sliced peaches.

Spread the softening ice cream over the peaches. Spread with the whipped cream and freeze for up to 1 hour before serving.

When ready to serve, top with a few pieces of fresh fruit.

Variations:

• Iced burnt-sugar raspberry trifle

Prepare the basic recipe, but use heatproof dishes and omit the peaches. Top the whipped cream with a layer of demerara sugar. Place the dishes under the broiler until the sugar is lightly browned and caramelized. Cool slightly before freezing. To serve, top with a few raspberries.

• Iced pear and quince trifle

When preparing the basic recipe, replace the raspberry jelly with quince jelly and the raspberries and peaches with 2 to 3 ripe pears, peeled and sliced. Top with more pear slices.

• Iced chocolate and orange trifle

Prepare the basic recipe, replacing the pound cake with chocolate cake, the raspberry jelly with orange jelly (or use Jello), the raspberries and peaches with 2 to 3 peeled and sliced oranges, and the vanilla ice cream with bitter chocolate gelato. Top with grated chocolate.

• Iced hawaiian trifle

Prepare the basic recipe but replace the pound cake with a favorite coffee cake, the raspberry jelly with lime jelly (or use Jello), and the peaches and raspberries with mango, papaya, pineapple, or other tropical fruits. Use coffee gelato and top with shredded toasted coconut.