December 13, 2012

Apricot + Amaretto Trifle


Do you ever think negatively about something, but, you have no idea why? Or think that you don't like something-even if you have never tried it? I'm like this with trifle. I think it's a very personal thing-everybody has a certain recipe or their take on a Christmas trifle that they like to stick to. 

Every Christmas my Dad makes the same trifle-a recipe he got years ago from an old neighbour. In the recipe you'll find boudoir biscuits, apricot jam, sliced tinned apricots, Amaretto, shop bought custard and whipped cream. Normally if I was to make a dessert like this, I would bake a vanilla Madeira sponge and cook a thick custard with fresh egg yolks and cream. You know the saying-'if its not broke don't fix it'?. I'm taking it to heart here, I couldn't imagine eating this trifle any other way!


Over the last few weeks I've been asking friends and family about what they think of when they think of trifle. Here are some of the variations: 

1) Boudoir biscuits, tinned fruit, raspberry jelly, custard and cream.
2) Sponge cake, dates and raisins soaked in sherry, custard, cream.
3) Madeira cake sandwiched with raspberry jam, mixed berry fruit compote, custard cream.

Where do you slot in?

You see the trifle I'm used to eating isn't there and I couldn't imagine eating any of the above. When I told people that the trifle I eat at Christmas contains boudoir biscuits, tinned sliced apricots, shop bought custard, Amaretto and whipped cream, they thought the exact same thing!


For me, this trifle is the epitome of our Christmas. It would be weird over the Christmas season to open our packed fridge and not see it in all its layered glory. 

Enjoy,

Holly, x

Roll the boudoir biscuits in apricot jam...


...arrange in a single layer in the bottom of a glass trifle dish.


Thinly slice the tinned apricots, reserving 50ml of syrup and arrange a layer over the biscuits.


Keep layering up the biscuits and sliced apricots until they're all gone-make sure to finish with a layer of apricots.

Stir together 50ml of Amaretto and the reserved syrup-slowly pour over the biscuits and apricots.


Top with custard and finally...


...a voluptuous swirl of  pillow like softly whipped cream. 

Recipe, serves 12

A glass trifle dish

250g Boudoir Biscuits 
1 Jar Apricot Jam
2 x 400g Tinned Apricots, in syrup
50ml Reserved Syrup
750g Custard
50ml Amaretto or Brandy, optional
450ml Cream, whipped

Roll the boudoir biscuits in apricot jam.
Remove the tinned apricots from the syrup, making sure to reserve 50ml.
Thinly slice the apricots.
Place a single layer of boudoir biscuits in the bottom of the glass dish, cover with a layer of sliced apricots.
Continue this process until all the biscuits and apricots are gone-finishing with a layer of apricots.
Stir together the reserved syrup and Amaretto and slowly pour over the biscuits and apricots.
Pour over the custard, allowing it to fall down in and around the biscuits.
Top with whipped cream.

2 comments:

  1. Delicious dessert Holly. Your father's old neighbour certainly passed on a good one.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks!It's become a must at our Christmas table!

    ReplyDelete