My Raspberry Trifle That Did Not Ruin Xmas…..Thank You Very Much!
This Christmas, it’s safe to say there hasn’t been a cooler cucumber in existence than yours truly. This year, I rested easy in the knowledge that my trifle would not ruin Christmas. Thank you very much.
Such Kanye-level confidence has not always emanated from my being. Several years ago, on Christmas Eve, I found myself in a spin so intense I could no longer attribute it solely to a bellyful of sugary cream. Ordinarily, sweet nectar makes me squirm, but not to the extent of pilfering Mumsie’s cushions for lint balls while balancing inanimate objects on my head.
No, something more sinister was at play. After much reflection, I narrowed the culprit down to one thing. Buckling pressure to perform.
Somebody, namely me, had been flagged by my sister as a potential Christmas-ruiner, and I feared she might be right. Allow me to take you back.
I arrive in Sydney to partake in family festivities, having been awake since five in the morning to endure the gauntlet of interstate travel. Eventually, my weary frame staggers through Mumsie’s front door. Any normal human would seek immediate retirement, but I am fuelled by holiday cheer, the kind that clings to the cockles of your heart much like sugar and cream.
Despite my condition, I present myself as a volunteer. A saintly elf, if you will. The house is alive with preparatory chaos. Everyone is working in unison on separate tasks. My two sisters are crafting and cooking with the coordination required to pat your head while rubbing your belly. One brother-in-law is building a sleigh out of a nappy box. The other is preparing three meats. And Mumsie is facing the greatest challenge of all: staying off her phone for a single day.
With childlike enthusiasm, I insert myself into the action and enquire about my role.
“ONLY the trifle,” one sister replies.
She then leans in, hissing, “Don’t. Ruin. CHRISTMAS.”
Her concern is understandable. I have a long-standing inability to follow recipes, paired with a remarkable talent for turning any cooking venture into either à la carte dining or takeaway. Nothing in between.
Christmas, she argues, is not the time to experiment with trifle.
Naturally, I experiment anyway.
This time, however, with far more meth-lab precision than usual. Fear is an excellent motivator. I cut, cook, measure, and conduct regular throat injections for quality control until I finally declare the results a perfect hit of cream, fruit and sherry.
And looking back, I’m proud to say my trifle did not ruin Christmas. Thank you very much. Nor did it ruin it this year, when I took it out for another spin.
If you care to scroll to the bottom of the page, however, you’ll see who did crumble under pressure all those moons ago.
Raspberry Trifle with Mascarpone Cream
Ingredients
Meringue
- 6 large egg whites room temp.
- 1 tsp of lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 ½ cups 330g of caster sugar
- 2 tbsp cornflour
Mascarpone cream
- 2 cups thickened cream
- 500 g of mascarpone
- zest half a lemon
- 2 1/2 tbsp icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Raspberry compote
- 400 g of frozen raspberries
- ½ cup dry sherry
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 large squeeze lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Additional ingredients
- 5 yellow peaches
- Small handful of mint leaves
- 1 small punnet of raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 130 degrees (fan forced). Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and spray both sheets with baking spray.
- Place egg whites lemon juice and salt in a bowl and mix with an electric, hand held beater until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the caster sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, and beat until thick and glossy. Add vanilla and beat briefly. Over mixture, sift the cornflour and then fold through gently with a spatula. Spread over the baking trays with spatula and then reduce oven temperature to 90 degrees (fan forced). Bake in the oven for 1 ½ hours, or until firm on the outside. Turn oven off and leave inside for approx. 1 hour. Remove then set aside.
- While meringue is baking, place sherry, sugar and half the frozen raspberries, lemon juice and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Continue to simmer mixture for 10–15 minutes, or until slightly thickens. Add the remaining raspberries and simmer for just a couple of minutes (you want some lovely chunks). Leave to cool.
- Just prior to assembling, whip the cream, and then gentle beat in the mascarpone, icing sugar and lemon zest.
- Make sure all of your ingredients have cooled before assembling. The compote and the meringue can be made the day prior.
- To put trifle together, first break your meringue into pieces. Line a large bowl with approx half of your meringue. Next spoon half of your mascarpone cream mixture over the top. After that, trickle half or your raspberry compote mixture (you don’t have to use all of the mixture; apply according to how sweet you like your desserts). Next add a layer of peach segments.
- Repeat the above steps. Over the top, sprinkle fresh raspberries and mint leaves.
