Decadent trifle
(serves 4)
Prep time: 30 mins Chilling time: 3 hours
300ml whole milk
600ml double cream
1 vanilla pod, sliced in half and seeds scraped out
6 egg yolks
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
300g lady fingers biscuits or biscotti
100ml apple juice
2 bananas, sliced
200g fresh strawberries, sliced
200g blueberries
1 To make the custard, heat the milk and half the double cream together in a heavy-bottomed pan over a low heat. Add the vanilla pod and seeds. Stir and let the mixture heat until it begins to simmer. Do not allow it to boil. Meanwhile, beat together the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a large bowl.
2 Remove the vanilla pod from the hot milk and pour the milk on to the egg and sugar mixture in a thin stream, whisking all the time. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the custard back into the pan. Stirring slowly and continuously, cook until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon – the longer you cook it, the thicker it will be. If it doesn’t appear to be thickening after 10 minutes, you may have the heat slightly too low, but don’t turn it up dramatically or you’ll spoil all your hard work. Alternatively, if you’re not feeling terribly brave, suspend a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, pour the custard into that, and proceed as above. Bear in mind you’ll be tied to the stove for at least 20 minutes.
3 Decant the custard into a jug to cool, pressing some cling film on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold.
4 If you are serving the trifles in individual glasses, place the biscuits at the bottom of each glass. Drizzle apple juice over the biscuits, allowing them to soak up the juice. Arrange banana and strawberry slices in an attractive pattern around the glasses. Dollop the cooled custard on top, then cover with cling film and refrigerate until set.
5 Whip the remaining double cream until soft peaks form then spoon on top of the trifle and chill for at least two hours before serving. Just before serving, scatter blueberries on top.