Nigella Lawson's Boozy British Christmas Trifle

Name: Nigella Lawson's Boozy British Christmas Trifle
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 litre double cream; 8 egg yolks (you could freeze the whites in an airtight freezer bag for up to 6 months); 2 whole eggs; 50g caster sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 packets trifle sponges (8 sponges in each packet); 1 x 340g jar strawberry or blackberry jam; 500ml cream sherry; 2 x 380g packets of frozen summer fruits. thawed; Zest of 1 orange; 25g caster sugar (not needed if using fresh fruits); 500ml double cream; 50g pistachios; 1 x 15ml tbsp crystallised rose petals (or crystallised violet petals) – try jane-asher.co.uk or confiserieflorian.com

Over a year ago 187,244 views

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Serves: 10

450 kcal

8g P 40g C 30g F 3g Fi

British Dessert

Ingredients

1 litre double cream
8 egg yolks (you could freeze the whites in an airtight freezer bag for up to 6 months)
2 whole eggs
50g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 packets trifle sponges (8 sponges in each packet)
1 x 340g jar strawberry or blackberry jam
500ml cream sherry
2 x 380g packets of frozen summer fruits. thawed
Zest of 1 orange
25g caster sugar (not needed if using fresh fruits)
500ml double cream
50g pistachios
1 x 15ml tbsp crystallised rose petals (or crystallised violet petals) – try jane-asher.co.uk or confiserieflorian.com

Accompaniment

Description

Indulge in the festive charm of this traditional British trifle, where layers of luscious custard, sherry-soaked sponge, and vibrant summer fruits come together in a delightful harmony. Each spoonful offers a perfect balance of creamy richness and fruity brightness, topped with softly whipped cream and a sprinkle of pistachios for a touch of elegance. This dessert not only looks stunning but also captures the essence of holiday celebrations, making it a cherished centerpiece for your festive gatherings.

Method

1
To make the custard, heat the cream in a large, wide, heavy-based pan.
2
While the cream is heating, whisk the egg yolks, whole eggs, and caster sugar in a bowl.
3
When the cream’s at boiling point, take it off the heat and pour it over the eggs and sugar, whisking as you go.
4
Wash out the pan.
5
Pour the uncooked custard back into the pan and return to the heat.
6
Cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until it has thickened. It must never boil!
7
After 10-15 minutes, pour the custard into a cold, clean bowl.
8
Add the vanilla extract to the custard and whisk a bit to help bring the temperature down.
9
Cover the very top of the custard, as well as the bowl, with clingfilm and leave to cool.
10
Split the 16 trifle sponges in half and make sandwiches with the jam.
11
Squidge the sponge sandwiches into the base of your trifle bowl.
12
Pour the sherry over the sponge sandwiches and let it soak in.
13
Tumble in the thawed summer fruits with a little of their liquid.
14
Grate the zest of the orange over the fruit and sprinkle with caster sugar, if not using frozen fruit.
15
When the custard’s cool, remove the clingfilm and pour and scrape the custard on top of the berries.
16
Cover the bowl with fresh clingfilm and refrigerate for at least half a day or up to 2 days.
17
When ready to serve, take the trifle out of the fridge to stand for about 1 hour.
18
Whisk the cream until softly whipped.
19
Remove the clingfilm from the trifle bowl and spread the cream on top of the custard with a rubber spatula.
20
Finely chop the pistachios, sprinkle over the top of the trifle, and adorn with crystallized rose petals.

Chef's Tips

If you really don’t want to make custard from scratch, you can use good shop-bought ‘fresh’ custard, 2-3 x 500ml (500g) cartons. Crystallised rose petals or violet petals are easy to find at specialist cake decoration stores or online.