Strawberry and Champagne summer trifle

Ingredients for the strawberry Champagne jelly:

400g fresh strawberries 235ml of Champagne 120ml of water 2-3 tbsp of caster sugar 2 tsp agar agar powder ½ tsp rosewater

Ingredients for the Champagne whipped cream:

360ml Champagne 1 litre double cream 65g icing sugar

Ingredients for assembling:

1 packet of sponge fingers Champagne for dipping 300g of fresh strawberries

Method:

Make the jelly first to allow it to set. First, wash and trim the tops of the strawberries and place them in a liquidiser along with 1-2 tablespoons of caster sugar.

Liquidise adding 120ml of water to loosen the mixture. Place this mixture in a saucepan and heat on a gentle flame to help release more juice from the strawberries; this can take between eight and 10 minutes.

Once this is done, strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and push the pulp through using the back of a spoon. Add the agar agar powder to the strawberry juice and stir.

Place back on the heat and heat gently until all the agar agar powder has dissolved. Once dissolved, add the Champagne and the remaining caster sugar and rosewater. Stir until completely dissolved and place into a trifle bowl. Let it set in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, make the champagne whipped cream by heating 360ml of champagne and reducing it to 60ml. Let it cool. Whip the double cream with the icing sugar until it forms soft peaks. Add the champagne syrup and whip until all combined.

Take the sponge fingers and dip them in Champagne until soft. Place half of them evenly over the set jelly along with some fresh strawberries, then spoon some champagne whipped cream over and repeat until all the strawberries, cream and sponge fingers have all been used up, finishing with whipped cream on top.

Chill for 30 to 40 minutes or until ready to serve.