Friday 28 December 2012

Cherry, Almond and Chocolate Trifle

You can never have too many indulgent treats this time of year. Last year I made a chocolate and orange trifle for Christmas Day dessert. For a family party this week I decided to give it a new twist, taking advantage of the Amaretto that is hanging round in my parent's kitchen. I adore this chocolate custard - some can be quite thin which means the trifle ends up a bit all over the place. This is rich and creamy and makes the dish something special.

This recipe is a mix of favourite dessert flavours all in one: the cherry, cream and chocolate combination of a Black Forest Gateau; the almond flavour topped off with cherry inspired by Bakewell tarts; all layered in the traditional trifle style. Perfect for an indulgent but reassuringly old fashioned dessert to be served at a family gathering.

I hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas!

Cherry, Almond and Chocolate Trifle

Layers of vanilla and almond sponge, topped with raspberries and cherries, a rich chocolate custard, and whipped cream, topped with cherries, almonds and grated chocolate.

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Serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • 1 large raspberry and vanilla Swiss roll
  • 4 tbsp Amaretto 
  • 200g raspberries
  • 200g cherries
  • 3-4 tbsp raspberry or cherry jam
  • For the custard:
    • 2 egg yolks
    • 2 tbsp caster sugar
    • 2 tbsp cornflour
    • 200ml milk
    • 200g dark chocolate, melted
    • 250g tub ricotta
  • 225ml double cream (or other cream suitable for whipping)
  • Flaked almonds, to decorate
  • Grated chocolate, to decorate

Method

  1. Cut the Swiss roll into chunky slices. Lay these in a large serving dish, filling in any gaps with small pieces of sponge.
  2. Sprinkle the Amaretto over the sponge to soak in.
  3. Wash and pat dry the raspberries. Layer these on top of the sponge slices. Wash and chop the cherries, reserving 10 whole ones for decoration. Add these to the raspberries.
  4. Spoon enough jam over the fruit so there is a thin coating over the sponge to keep it moist. 
  5. Mix the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a large bowl to make a paste.
  6. Heat the milk in a pan until it reaches just below boiling point. Pour it over the egg mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Return to the pan and heat through, stirring continuously, until the mixture is thickened and smooth.
  7. Return the custard to the large bowl. Add the melted chocolate and the ricotta and stir until combined. Pour over the fruit, smooth with the back of a spoon and leave in the fridge for an hour, or until set. 
  8. Whisk the cream until slightly thickened. Spread over the custard layer, or pipe if wished. 
  9. Arrange the remaining cherries over the cream. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds and grated chocolate. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. 

1 comment:

  1. This sounds absolutely delicious. Thanks for posting and sharing this recipe.

    Simon

    ReplyDelete

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