The Online Reflector

By: Kim Puckett

Staff Writer

Pumpkin pie has come to be the standard Thanksgiving dessert. Although this traditional treat is known and loved throughout the United States, straying from the norm can spice up Thanksgiving celebrations.

To create some novelty and relieve some stress in holiday meals, consider taking the “no-bake” direction. Less work and more surprises makes a no-bake Thanksgiving trifle a spectacular addition to the holiday spread.

With simple and inexpensive ingredients, such as a store-bought chocolate pound cake, vanilla ice cream, canned-cranberry sauce and whipped cream, any college student can make this dessert without spending too much time or money.

I made this new dish and tested its appearance and flavor across the campus. I presented my dessert to students and members of the faculty and staff. Overall, I think they enjoyed it as much as I did.

If you would like to present a new twist on dessert to your Thanksgiving get-together, round up the aforementioned ingredients and get to work.

To make this trifle, start with a clear, inverted cake dish. If you do not have a fancy cake dish, any large, clear bowl will suffice. Cut the chocolate cake into cubes and cover the bottom of the dish with them.

If you cannot find an already-prepared chocolate cake at the grocery store, as in my case, substitute a cake mix that you can bake yourself. This step will increase the preparation time, but it also cuts down on cost.

After lining the bottom of the bowl with cake cubes, place about half the contents of a regular size ice cream container into the microwave and heat until melted. Add some melted ice cream and cranberry sauce on top of the cake in the dish.

Continue to layer the cake and toppings until the dish is full. To top off the dessert, add a layer of whipped cream for presentation and flavor. This dessert is better served chilled. Leaving it in the refrigerator for a couple hours before serving gives the flavors time to blend together.

The ingredients cost about $8. I bought all Kroger brand foods, so that made it cheaper. It would have been more expensive if I had bought a pound cake, but the cake mix was still the most expensive part of the dessert at about $3.

I think the dessert was worth the price because the dish was big and would feed a number of people. It also has the presentation of a gourmet dessert, even though it is simple and inexpensive.

The inexpensive ingredients and short preparation time make a no-bake Thanksgiving trifle the perfect dish for a college student to bring to any holiday pitch-in dinner.