English Trifle

• ½ cup Sugar
• 3 T Cornstarch
• ¼ t Salt
• 3 cups Milk
• ½ cup Dry sherry or dry white wine
• 3 Egg yolks, beaten
• 3 t Butter
• 1 T Vanilla
• 2 Packages (3 ounces each) ladyfingers
• ½ cup Blueberry preserves (strawberry is fine if a substitute is needed
• 1 pint Blueberries
• 1 cup Whipping (heavy) cream
• 2 T Sugar
• 2 T Toasted slivered almonds

Mix ½ cup sugar, the cornstarch and salt in 3-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in milk and sherry. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir at least half of the hot mixture gradually into egg yolks. Stir into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate about 3 hours or until chilled.

Cut ladyfingers lengthwise in half. Spread each half with strawberry preserves. Layer one-fourth of the ladyfingers, cut sides up, half of the strawberries and half of the pudding in 2-quart serving bowl; repeat. Arrange remaining ladyfingers around edge of bowl in upright position and with cut sides toward center. It may be necessary to ease ladyfingers gently down into pudding about 1 inch so they remain upright. Cover and refrigerate.

Beat whipping cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in chilled medium bowl until stiff. Spread over dessert. Sprinkle with almonds.