Name: Mary’s royal cherry trifle
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: English
Ingredients: 450g cherry reserve a few lovely cherries for the top and stone the rest; 340g jar cherry jam or conserve; 450g madeira cake cut int 1cm-thick slices; 100ml kirsch or cherry brandy; 10 ratafia biscuits or 5 amaretti biscuits, broken; 300ml double cream whipped lightly; 50g caster sugar; 50g cornflour; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk; 300ml milk; 300ml whipping cream

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Mary’s royal cherry trifle

Mary’s royal cherry trifle

Mary Berry

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Serves 8

Easy

Prep: 35 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Plus chilling

A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.13 ratingsRate

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Mary Berry whips up a creamy, fruity pudding studded with almond amaretti biscuits and smothered in kirsch and custard

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

450g cherry

reserve a few lovely cherries for the top and stone the rest
340g jar cherry jam

or conserve
450g madeira cake

cut int 1cm-thick slices
100ml kirsch

or cherry brandy
10 ratafia biscuits

or 5 amaretti biscuits, broken
300ml double cream

whipped lightly

For the custard

50g caster sugar
50g cornflour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

plus 1 egg yolk
300ml milk
300ml whipping cream

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal886
fat50g
saturates29g
carbs94g
sugars75g
fibre1g
protein10g
salt0.9g

low

Method

step 1

First, make the custard. Tip the caster sugar, cornflour and vanilla into a mixing bowl and add the eggs and egg yolk. Whisk with a hand whisk until smooth and blended.
step 2

Pour the milk and double cream into a pan and heat gently until hot, but do not boil. Pour this over the egg mixture and immediately whisk until blended. Wash the pan to remove any scum from the milk and pour the custard back into the clean pan. Heat gently, stirring constantly until thickened. Don’t panic if the custard starts to look lumpy as it thickens, just continue to heat and whisk until the custard is thick and smooth. Pour into a jug and cover the surface of the custard with cling film to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside to cool.
step 3

Tip the stoned cherries into a pan with half the jam or conserve and cook over a medium heat for 5-10 mins until softened and saucy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
step 4

Spread half the slices of Madeira cake generously with the remaining cherry jam. Sandwich with the remaining cake slices, then cut in half. Pour the kirsch or brandy into a shallow bowl, dip each sponge sandwich into the liqueur, then arrange in the base of the trifle dish (you will need a shallow, straight-sided, 20cm round glass dish about 5cm deep). Line the edges of the dish first to create a stripy effect, then fill in the centre with the remaining sandwiches, pouring over any remaining liquid.
step 5

Spoon over the cherries and any juice from the pan, then scatter over the broken biscuits. Pour over the cooled custard, then spread whipped cream over the top. Decorate with fresh whole cherries and chill for a few hours, or make it a day ahead and chill for up to 24 hours before serving.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2012

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A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.13 ratings

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