by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: December 28, 2008

It is true to say that there is a very definite human capacity for associating certain foods with certain events, certain people or certain experiences. Very often, it can be the smell of the dish cooking alone which has us reminiscing.

One such dish for me that hosts a plethora of warm memories is the traditional British trifle. It always formed the culmination of Christmas Dinner when I was a child - and even from a very young age, it was often me who made it! The ways in which we can make a trifle are numerous and varied but what follows below is pretty much the best version I believe I ever came up with.

Ingredients

1 4oz block of concentrated fruit jelly (pineapple was always my favourite)
1 can of mixed fruit in fruit juice
4oz stale sponge cake (can be bought specifically for this purpose)
2 pints thick or double cream
1 vanilla pod
6 egg yolks
1 tsp cornflour
2oz caster sugar
Chocolate chips or similar for garnish

Method

Drain the canned fruit well and reserve the juice. Add the fruit together with the sponge cake to a large glass trifle bowl. Add the fruit juice to a measuring jug and top up to the level of liquid the instructions on the jelly packet call for with boiling water. Add the jelly and stir well until melted, usually a few minutes. Pour the liquid jelly carefully over the fruit and sponge and allow to cool before placing in the refrigerator to set. This part should if possible be done the night before.

To make our egg custard, put one pint of the cream in to a saucepan and over a gentle heat. Cut the vanilla pod open lengthwise and add both halves to the pan. Beat the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar together to form a smooth paste. As the cream only just starts to simmer, remove and discard the vanilla pod and carefully add the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Continue to whisk until the custard has thickened and again approaches a simmer. Remove from the heat, add to a bowl and cover and allow to cool.

When the custard has cooled and thickened, spread it over the set jelly in the trifle bowl and whisk the remaining pint of cream in a bowl until it forms soft peaks, before spreading it very carefully in turn over the custard. Garnish as desired and refrigerate until required.

It is very common to add some form of alcohol to trifles such as this. Sherry, for example, can be added to either the jelly mix instead of a little of the hot water and/or the cream after it has been beaten. This option may of course depend on the age of our family or dinner guests!

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