Tag: trifle

Raspberry & Pistachio Trifle

Published on by Elise BLeave a comment

This is one extra special dessert and with its festive colours, it’s perfect for Christmas. Start this recipe the day ahead.

Ingredients (serves 10-12)
Raspberry Jelly
1 packet raspberry jelly
125g fresh raspberries

Pistachio Sponge
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
50g pistachio paste or cream (I use this brand)
150g marzipan
4 eggs
250g shelled, unsalted pistachios
75g almond meal
50 ml raspberry liqueur (I use Chambord)
Green food colouring (optional)

Vanilla Cream
500g Paul’s double thick vanilla custard
500g thickened cream

Raspberry Coulis
500g fresh or frozen raspberries
25g icing sugar

Decoration
125g raspberries
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
Edible gold leaf

Method

Make the jelly according to packet instructions in a large trifle dish (3L capacity) and add raspberries. Leave in the fridge to set overnight.

Preheat oven to 150°C fan-forced. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins.

To make the cake, blitz pistachios in a food processor until it resembles sand. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed. When the mixture is pale and fluffy, add the pistachio paste/cream and marzipan and mix to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. When incorporated, add the ground pistachios and almond meal. Slowly add in raspberry liqueur and a drop or two of green food colouring. Once incorporated, divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 30 minutes and then place in the fridge to set overnight.

To make the raspberry coulis, combine the frozen raspberries and icing sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat until melted. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard the seeds.

Approximately 3 hours before serving, whip the thickened cream until soft peaks form. Fold the thickened cream into the vanilla custard.

To assemble, place the first sponge into the trifle dish (cutting to size as necessary) on top of the jelly. Follow with a layer of cream, then the raspberry coulis. Cut the other sponge to fit the trifle bowl exactly, place on top and finish with a layer of cream. Allow to set in the fridge for three hours. Decorate with fresh raspberries topped with gold leaf and chopped pistachios. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Guillaume Brahimi’s ‘Raspberry and pistachio trifle’ featured in good food.

Lemon & Blackberry Miniature Trifles

Published on by Elise BLeave a comment

These adorable trifles are an ideal finish to a big meal (such as Christmas dinner) as they are light and fresh with zesty lemon curd and pops of blackberry. I’ve made 9 individual trifles here, but it also works as one large trifle for a Christmas centrepiece, you may just need to add some chantilly cream on top of the lemon curd layer to get sufficient height.

You’ll want to make the meringues, sponge and curd the day ahead so all you need to do is assemble.

Ingredients (serves 9)
Meringues
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
3/4 cup caster sugar

1½-2 cups luscious lemon curd (or bought curd if you prefer)
1 vanilla sponge cake (or bought if you prefer)
2 x 300g jars blackberry jam (I use Beerenberg)
900g vanilla custard (I used Paul’s Double Thick Custard in French Vanilla)
2 punnets fresh blackberries
Edible flowers (optional)

Method

To make the meringues, preheat oven to 100°C. Line 2 large trays with baking paper. Use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Add sugar, a table spoon at a time, beating until the sugar has dissolved between each addition. Keep beating until all of the sugar has been added and the mixture is thick, white and glossy. Transfer to a large piping bag with a large star nozzle (I used Wilton’s 2M). Pipe approximately 50 small rosettes of meringue onto the trays. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then turn off the oven, prop open the door and leave to cool completely.

Cut the sponge cake in half and spread each half with a layer of blackberry jam. Then carefully cut the sponge cake into small cubes.

To assemble the trifle, put a layer of sponge cake pieces in the bottom of each glass, trying to get a flat and even layer. Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of extra blackberry jam per glass and spread over the top of the sponge pieces.

Spoon a thick layer of vanilla custard on top of the jam, followed by a generous dollop of lemon curd, then top with crushed meringue pieces and blackberries cut in half (approximately 6 halves per glass).

Repeat the layers – sponge cake, blackberry jam, custard and curd. Then top with a few whole meringues, a couple of blackberries and an edible flower. If not serving immediately, leave off the meringues from the top until just before serving so they stay crisp.

Enjoy!

Meringue recipe adapted from Merle’s Kitchen by Merle Parrish.

Lemon, Mango & Passionfruit Trifle

Published on by Elise B1 Comment

This trifle is a cinch to put together and can be made ahead of time but looks amazing – making it the perfect Christmas dessert! Everyone will love the classic summery flavours and textural surprises and there’s no booze, so the whole family can enjoy.

Ingredients (serves 10-12)
2 cups luscious lemon curd (or bought curd if you prefer)
8 passionfruit
600ml thickened cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
2 tspns vanilla extract
1 vanilla sponge cake, cut into squares (I bought mine, but you could use this recipe to make your own)
900g vanilla custard (I used Paul’s Double Thick Custard in French Vanilla)
2 mangoes (I used Kensington Pride)
1 packet meringue kisses
½ cup coconut flakes

Method

Make the lemon curd and refrigerate until cool.

To make the passionfruit cream, combine cream, vanilla and icing sugar in a large bowl and beat on high speed until very thick. Gently stir through the pulp of 5 passionfruit.

Toast your coconut flakes in a frypan over a medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant.

Cut up the mangoes into long slices, discarding the skin and pit.

To assemble the trifle, place an even layer of sponge cake squares in the bottom of the dish.

Top with vanilla custard and approximately two-thirds of the mango slices.

Crush approximately 10-12 mini meringue kisses and sprinkle over the top of the mango.

Top with approximately two-thirds of the passionfruit cream mixture and the pulp of an extra passionfruit.

Gently spoon on the lemon curd, taking care not to mix it with the cream.

Allow to set in the fridge.

Just prior to serving, spoon the remaining passionfruit cream onto the curd and then top with remaining mango slices, passionfruit pulp (I left a whole passionfruit) and toasted coconut flakes.

Recipe inspired by delicious. magazine’s ‘Mango Dacquiri Trifle’, December 2022/January 2023 issue.

Raspberry & Vanilla Trifle

Published on by Elise BLeave a comment

We’ve never really been a trifle family, and the few trifles I’d tried before this one were often disappointing – mushy and bland. We decided we wanted to serve a trifle as a dessert option on Christmas day and so, after a bit of experimenting, I developed this vanilla and raspberry trifle with torched meringue topping. I hope you enjoy as much as I do! For the time poor, I have put in some cheats to make it an easier job.

Start this recipe at least the day ahead.

Ingredients (serves 12-14)
2 packets raspberry jelly
1 cup frozen raspberries

Sponge cake
3 eggs, separated
1 cup caster sugar
½ cup cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup plain flour
1 tbsp cornflour

OR use 2 round unfilled sponge cakes (Woolworths brand do the job perfectly)

Vanilla custard
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1.2L full cream milk
8 egg yolks
4 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour

OR approximately 1 litre of pre-bought custard (I like Paul’s Double Thick French Vanilla 900g)

Meringue Topping
2 egg whites
⅔ cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 punnets of fresh raspberries, to serve

Method

Make the jelly according to packet instructions and pour into a 3L capacity trifle dish. Add frozen raspberries. Put in the fridge to set for at least 6 hours.

To make the sponge cakes, preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced. Grease two 20cm round, shallow tins and line the bases with baking paper.

Use electric beaters to beat the egg yolks, sugar, water, and vanilla for approximately 10 minutes, until very pale and thick. Wash the beaters and then, in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and baking powder until stiff peaks form. Fold the sifted flours into the yolk mixture and then gently mix in the egg whites.

Divide evenly between the tins and bake for 20 minutes or until springy in the centre and the cake has come away from the sides of the tins. Gently turn cakes onto wire cooling racks and leave to cool entirely. Store in an airtight container until required.

To make the custard, add vanilla bean paste and milk to a large saucepan on a medium-low heat and bring to the boil. Immediately remove it from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a very large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and cornflour until pale.

Gradually add the warm milk, a tablespoon full at a time, whisking well between each addition. Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook gently on a low heat, whisking continuously, for about 20 minutes or until very thick. Leave to cool at room temperature then refrigerate until required.

To assemble the trifle, cut the sponge cake into squares approximately 6cm x 6cm. Add a layer of sponge cake pieces over the set jelly like so:


Top with half of the custard mixture. Place half of the raspberries, evenly spaced, on top of the custard.

Repeat – add a further layer of sponge cake, the remaining custard and top with raspberries. Refrigerate until required.

Just before serving (or up to 3 hours ahead), make the meringue. Whip the eggwhites with electric beaters until they’re light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and a tablespoon of the sugar and beat until combined. Add the remaining sugar, a spoonful at a time, beating between each addition until the sugar has dissolved. Once all of the sugar has been added you should have glossy white, stiff peaks.

Spoon the meringue mixture onto the top. Use a kitchen blowtorch to lightly toast the meringue. Serve and enjoy!