"American Pie" Summer Trifle

A fresh and colorful, "red, white and blue" dessert for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July holidays.

Cut the calories with low fat vanilla yogurt in place of some of the cream.

2 pints of fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, sliced and tossed with ¼ cup of sugar

1 pint of blueberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup strawberry-banana nectar juice (I used Jumex brand)

2 cups French vanilla lowfat yogurt (I used Stonyfield organic brand)

16 ounce container of whipping cream, whipped to hold stiff peaks, with ¼ cup of sugar folded in

1 large strawberry, cut into fan shape (see photo)

1 package Namaste brand Vanilla Cake Mix *

Bake cake ahead, following manufacturer instructions or choosing pound cake option below, if using. Allow to cool. Slice into cubes and place half of the cubed cake into the bottom of a large glass bowl or trifle bowl. Now drizzle one-half of the strawberry nectar over the cake cubes.

Next, add one-half of the vanilla yogurt, dropping dollops over the juice-soaked cake cubes. Now layer with one-half of the blueberries, then one-half of the sliced strawberries. Top the fruit with one-half of the whipped cream.

Now begin the layering process once again, beginning with the remaining cake cubes, the nectar, the yogurt, the berries and finishing with the whipped cream.

Place the berry garnish at the very center top of the whipped cream. Allow the trifle to rest and the flavors to macerate in the refrigerator for approximately four hours before serving.

Makes: Eight servings.

*Cake options: To modify this mix into a pound cake, follow instructions below.

1 package Namaste Vanilla Cake Mix (or any other cake mix if not doing gluten free)

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup butter, melted

½ cup buttermilk

4 t. GF vanilla extract

Mix all cake ingredients together well. Pour batter into an oiled 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350˚F for 35-40 minutes and test for doneness. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and cool.

Some recipes are from my cookbook: "Delicious! The Very Best of Gluten Free and Wheat Free Cooking. It is available at:   http://www.celiacdiseaseinfo.org