This recipe is guaranteed to make you fall in love with trifle
By Hannah Selinger
I like to think of the trifle – the traditional English dessert that layers cake, custard, fruit and cream – as a catch-all dish.
On more than one occasion, I have found myself neck-deep in the refrigerator, rifling through familiar items to throw into the composed sweet.
A trifle can be a wild grouping of items: something rich and creamy, something tart, something light and airy.
That the layers look lovely in a tall glass bowl is a bonus.
Make the trifle. Layer it high with the ingredients you love. Cheat a little bit – or even a lot.
And when you kick back at the end of a long holiday meal, allow yourself the hard-fought glory of seconds.
You deserve it.
Cranberry and Custard Trifle (Serves 10-20)
Ingredients
FOR THE CUSTARD
10 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 cups (1l) milk
2 cups (480ml) whipping cream
2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
FOR THE COMPOTE
2 (340g) bags fresh or frozen whole cranberries; defrosted if frozen
1 3/4 cups (350g) sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange liqueur, orange-flavoured liqueur
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
FOR ASSEMBLY
1 panettone (680 to 910g total), torn into 2,5cmchunks
3 tablespoons orange-flavoured liqueur, divided
1 cup (240ml) cold whipped cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
Make the custard: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cornstarch until combined.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, cream, butter, nutmeg and salt and bring to a simmer while stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
With a ladle in one hand and a whisk in another, drizzle a small amount of the heated liquid into the egg yolk mixture while whisking.
Continue to pour the milk-cream mixture into the eggs in a steady stream while whisking until the base of the bowl feels warm to the touch.
Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cream and set it over medium heat.
Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a boil, 5 to 8 minutes (it should start to thicken to the consistency of pudding).
If it seems thin, continue boiling for a few minutes more, stirring constantly.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, if desired, or pour directly into the bowl.
Stir in the vanilla extract and orange zest.
Cover, and, if desired, place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to keep the skin from forming.
Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours. Keep cold and covered until ready to use.
Make the compote: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest, orange liqueur and lemon zest.
Cook, stirring the mixture often, until the cranberries pop, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the compote thickens slightly, an additional 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool completely in the refrigerator before assembling the trifle, about 1 hour.
The compote will continue to thicken in the refrigerator.
Assemble the trifle: About 15 minutes before you plan to assemble the trifle, remove the compote and custard from the refrigerator.
On the bottom of an 8- to 10-cup trifle dish or any large, deep-sided glass vessel, layer a third of the panettone, covering the base of the bowl entirely.
Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the liqueur.
Using an offset spatula, evenly spread a third of the cranberry compote over the panettone.
Spoon a third of the custard over the compote and use an offset spatula to smooth it out to the edges.
Repeat the layering two more times, then cover with a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours before serving.
When ready to serve, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or using a large bowl and a hand-held mixer, combine the cream, sugar and vanilla and beat on high speed until soft peaks form, about two minutes.
Spread the whipped cream over the top of the trifle as desired. Serve in small bowls.
Check out more Festive Season recipes in the latest issue of the IOL Food Digital Magazine