This is a really light trifle. Not what you normally think of as a trifle although it uses the same ingredients. It’s very refreshing for a summer dessert and looks good too.
This very light summer trifle has a selection of seasonal fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, black and red currants, tossed in a fruit purée and surrounded with little boozy sponge fingers coated in a vanilla custard.
Summer Trifle
8 servings
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 20 minutes
- Ingredients
- 120 ml (4 fl oz) milk (½ cup)
- ½ vanilla pod split lengthways, OR
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks
- 40 g (1½ oz) caster/white sugar (3 tbsp + 1 tsp)
- 10 lady fingers or sponge fingers
- 1 tbsp sweet white wine or sherry
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) summer fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, black and red currants
- a splash of white wine (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 tsp caster/white sugar
- 150 ml (5 fl oz) double cream/whipping or heavy cream (⅔ cup)
- 28 g (1 oz) unsalted, shelled pistachio nuts, or walnuts (¼ cup)
- Method
- Chill four dessert plates in the fridge.
- Put the egg yolks in a small bowl and whisk in the sugar to make a paste.
- Next, pour the milk into a small pan.
- If using the vanilla pod, add it to the milk and slowly heat on the lowest setting for 10 minutes, without boiling. Then remove the vanilla pod.
- If using vanilla extract, omit heating the milk for 10 minutes first but add it to the cold milk now.
- Bring the milk up to the boil.
- Now slowly stir the milk and vanilla into the egg and sugar until the mixture is smooth.
- Return the custard to the pan and stir, over a low heat, until it begins to thicken. You want it to thicken enough to be able to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Cover the custard with cling film/plastic wrap to prevent it forming a skin and then leave it to cool.
- Meanwhile, cut each sponge finger in half to give two small fingers and lay them in a shallow bowl. Drizzle over the wine or sherry.
- Next, wash and pat dry the fruits. Remove the currants from their stalks and hull and halve the strawberries.
- Set aside half the berries and currants, picking out the best ones.
- Put the remainder in a food processor or blender and add the wine and sugar.
- Purée until smooth and then, using the back of a spoon, push through a plastic sieve to remove the pulp. Once the purée is pressed through, wipe the underside of the sieve with a clean spoon to get all the sauce.
- Roughly chop the pistachio nuts or walnuts.
- Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks.
- Stir one spoonful into the cooled custard to loosen it a little and then fold in the remaining cream.
- Now to assemble, carefully toss the reserved fruit with half the purée and spoon into the centre of each cooled plate.
- Arrange the sponge fingers evenly around the edge of the plates.
- Pour the custard over half of each the sponge finger then sprinkle the nuts on top of the custard.
- Pour the remaining purée over the fruit and serve.
Updated: July 20, 2020
