Traditional English Sherry Trifle - Strictly for the Grown Ups!

Name: Traditional English Sherry Trifle - Strictly for the Grown Ups!
Prep time: 4 h
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 4 h 10 min
Yield: 1 Large Trifle, 8-10 serving(s)
Ingredients: 8 single trifle sponge cakes or 226.79-340.19 g stale sponge cakes; 59.16 ml raspberry jam; 88.74 ml sweet sherry; 340.19 g frozen raspberries, partially thawed or 340.19 g fresh raspberries; 113.39 g amaretti or 113.39 g macaroons; 473.19 ml milk; 1 vanilla pod; 4 egg yolks; 14.79 ml caster sugar, plus a little; caster sugar, for sprinkling; 22.18 ml cornflour; 354.89 ml whipping cream; 56.69 g sliced almonds, toasted; glace cherries or fresh raspberry, to decorate; silver dragees, to decorate

Submitted by French Tart

"Treat your family and friends to this superb traditional boozy trifle full of sherry, raspberries and cream, especially popular at Christmas time. (Forget about counting calories until the New Year!) A trifle is a typically British dessert made with thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice or alcohol, and whipped cream. Interestingly it was always made so as to use up, stale, left over sponge cake, which is then softened with either fruit juices or a sweet alcohol like sherry. It really is best not to use fresh sponge as it just goes very soggy and mushy. In the UK you can buy "sponge fingers" or "sponge trifle cakes" which are perfect, or if you have an Italian shop nearby, try ready made tiramisu sponge. It's really easy to make and the ingredients are usually arranged in layers with the fruit and sponge on the bottom, and the custard and cream on top. The best trifles contain a small amount of alcohol such as port, or, most commonly, sweet sherry or madeira wine. If you can't drink alcohol, you can use fruit juice instead, the liquid is necessary to moisten the cake. Trifle containing sherry is sometimes called 'sherry trifle' or referred to as being 'High Church'!! We often had a sherry trifle for dessert or tea on a Sunday afternoon, it was a delicious end to a lazy and relaxing day!"

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photo by French Tart

Ready In:: 4hrs 10mins
Ingredients:: 15
Yields:: 1 Large Trifle
Serves:: 8-10

ingredients

Base
8 single trifle sponge cakes or 226.79-340.19 g stale sponge cakes
59.16 ml raspberry jam
88.74 ml sweet sherry
340.19 g frozen raspberries, partially thawed or 340.19 g fresh raspberries
113.39 113.39 g amaretti or 113.39 g macaroons
Custard
473.19 ml milk
1 vanilla pod
4 egg yolks
14.79 ml caster sugar, plus a little
caster sugar, for sprinkling
22.18 ml cornflour
Topping
354.89 ml whipping cream
56.69 g sliced almonds, toasted
glace cherries or fresh raspberry, to decorate
silver dragees, to decorate

directions

Split the sponges in half then spread each half thinly with raspberry jam.
Sandwich each half back together and cut into quarters.
Place in the base of three and a half pint (2 litre) glass trifle bowl.
Sprinkle the sherry over the sponges and spoon over the partially thawed raspberries and their juice.
Roughly crush the ratafia biscuits and sprinkle over the raspberries.
Chill for 3-4 hours.
Place the milk and vanilla pod in a small pan and slowly bring to just below boiling point.
Transfer to a heatproof jug and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
Remove the vanilla pod from the milk.
Place the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar in a bowl and whisk together.
Whisk in the milk, then strain the liquid back into the rinsed pan through a fine sieve.
Cook over a gentle heat , stirring constantly until the custard starts to thicken, being careful not to allow to boil.
Cook gently for two minutes unit the custard is a thick pouring consistency.
Quickly pour the custard into a cold bowl to prevent further cooking.
Sprinkle the surface with a thin coating of caster sugar to prevent a skin forming.
Set aside and leave to cool.
Spoon the cold custard onto the raspberries in the trifle bowl, spreading to the edges with a palette knife.
Gently whip the cream until it nearly holds its shape, then spoon three quarters of it on top of the custard and carefully spread to the sides of the bowl.
Whip the remaining cream until it holds it shape.
Pipe swirls of cream around the top of the bowl and decorate with flaked almonds and cherries, silver dragees or raspberries.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

French Tart

277

The sunflowers in the field behind my house in SW France: <img title=Sunflowers src=http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r271/copperhorse58/DSCN8221.jpg alt=Sunflowers width=640 height=480 /> I am British (English-Scottish), but I was born in South Africa and have lived all over the world, including Hong Kong, Germany, Cyprus, USA & Singapore. I have also been very fortunate to have travelled extensively over the years.........I still have wanderlust! I used to be an English Literature & Art History teacher & lecturer; before that, I trained and worked as a Graphic Designer for many years. I now live in France with my husband & my daughter who has just started university in September 2006. We also have one very chatty Burmese cat Willow, who allows us to live with her here! (I used to have three cats, I recently lost Monty, a beautiful seal point Siamese and before that, Rama, who was a debonair blue point Siamese cat - I would love to have another Siamese cat or cats in the future!) This is my Burmese Cat, Willow, sunning herself on the log pile in the kitchen garden: <img title=My src=http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r271/copperhorse58/ABaconButtyandSundryFoodPhotos34.jpg alt=My width=640 height=480 /> Here is my lovely Monty, a seal point Siamese, and Willow, sitting in the kitchen garden last year, and a few months before Monty died; he was 18yrs old: <img title=Monty src=http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r271/copperhorse58/AbsolutelySinfulStickyToffeePudding.jpg alt=Monty width=640 height=480 />My This is my wonderful old boy, Rama, a blue-point Siamese, who died when he was 20yrs old - excuse the old and much sellotaped photo: <img title=Rama src=http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r271/copperhorse58/Rama1stOctober2004164.jpg alt=Rama width=517 height=639 /> My favourite pastimes are: reading, writing, painting & drawing, photography, gardening, anything creative, walking, travelling, dining out and of course COOKING! 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