Apple, raspberry & whisky trifle

I always used to make trifle at Christmas, but haven’t for years, so I’m giving it an outing on New Year’s Eve. I’m always surprised that something this easy tastes so good, but it does. As with the beef (p78), maturing it enhances the flavour, so prepare it the day before you want to serve. But don’t add the whipped cream until the last minute – there’s nothing worse than thick ‘set’ cream that’s come straight from the fridge.

SERVES 8 10 PREP 50 mins plus cooling and at least several hrs chilling COOK 25 mins

MORE EFFORT V

1.5kg Bramley apples, peeled, cored

and roughly chopped

75g caster sugar

400g fresh or frozen raspberries

For the sponge layer

50ml orange juice

1 tbsp caster sugar

3 tbsp whisky

250g sponge cake or tri le sponges 75g raspberry jam

For the custard

300ml whole milk

200ml double cream 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds

scraped out

6 egg yolks

50g caster sugar

1 tbsp corn lour

For the cream topping 300ml double cream

50g caster sugar orange, zested, plus a few strips

of pared zest to serve

1 tbsp whisky

1 Put the apples in a pan with 55ml water and the sugar. Cover and cook for 15 mins over a low heat until soft, stirring every so often to help them break down and ensure they don’t catch on the bottom. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Taste to ensure the apples are a balance of sweet and tart.

2 For the custard, put the milk and cream in a saucepan with the split vanilla pod and seeds. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together in a large bowl.

3 Strain the hot milk mixture into a jug, discarding the vanilla pod. Slowly pour this over the yolk mixture, whisking until everything is incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a clean pan over a medium-low heat and cook for 2-3 mins, stirring until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Pour into a jug, cover and leave to cool.

4 For the sponge layer, put the orange juice, sugar and whisky in a small bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cut the sponges into slices, and spread a little of the jam over each. Line the base of a glass trifle or serving bowl with the jammy sponge slices, then pour over the orange and whisky mixture so all the sponges are evenly coated. 5 Scatter the raspberries over the sponge layer, then spoon over the cooked apples followed by the cooled custard. Cover and chill for at least several hours, or overnight. 6 For the cream topping, beat the double cream with an electric whisk until it’s just holding its shape. Add the sugar, orange zest and whisky, then beat again until the cream falls in thick folds. Spoon over the trifle just before serving and scatter with pared strips of orange zest.

GOOD TO KNOW vit c • 2 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING (10) 615 kcals • fat 38g • saturates 22g • carbs 56g • sugars 49g • ibre 4g • protein 6g • salt 0.4g