John Florio's dictionary of 1578 describes 'Trifle' "a kinde of clouted creame called a foole", while the Archimagirus Cookery of 1658 advises to make trifle with "Boiled cream and rose water and sugar, and a little rennet, and stew them together."
Original Receipt in 'The Accomplisht Cook' by Robert May, 1660 (Robert May 1660);To make a Triffel.
Take a quart of the best and thickest cream, set it on the fire in a clean skillet, and put to it whole mace, cinamon, and sugar, boil it well in the cream before you put in the sugar; then your cream being well boiled, pour it into a fine silver piece or dish, and take out the spices, let it cool till it be no more than blood-warm, then put in a spoonful of good runnet, and set it well together being cold scrape sugar on it, and trim the dish sides finely.