Download this recipe.
1 Sponge Cake or 1 (12-ounce) store-bought pound cake, cut into slices, 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup sour cherry or raspberry jam
1/2 cup dark rum or orange liqueur
2 1/2 cups Pastry Cream, Chocolate and Vanilla Variation (see below)
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Chocolate, for garnish
1 Prepare the sponge cake and pastry creams, if necessary. Then, in a small bowl, stir together the jam and rum.
2 Spoon half of the vanilla pastry cream into the bottom of a 3-quart serving bowl. Place 1/4 of the cake slices on top and brush with 1/4 of the jam mixture. Spoon half of the chocolate pastry cream on top.
3 Make another layer of 1/4 of the cake and jam mixture. Repeat with the remaining vanilla cream, 1/4 of the remaining cake and jam mixture, chocolate cream, and the rest of the cake and jam mixture. Cover tightly with plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
4 At least 20 minutes before serving, place a large bowl and the beaters of an electric mixer in the refrigerator. Just before serving, remove the bowl and beaters from the refrigerator. Pour the cream into the bowl and whip at high speed until it holds its shape softly when the beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes.
5 Spoon the cream on top of the trifle. Garnish with raspberries and chocolate shavings.
PASTRY CREAM
1 quart milk
1/2 cup sugar
6 large eggs yolks
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 In a heavy saucepan, bring 3 cups of the milk and the sugar to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.
2 In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the remaining 1 cup milk until blended. Place the flour in a fine-mesh strainer. Shake it over the egg yolks. Whisk until smooth. Beat in the hot milk a little at a time.
3 When all of the milk has been added, transfer the mixture to the saucepan and return it to the heat. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to boil. Reduce the heat and cook 30 seconds more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
4 Transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic against the surface of the cream. Chill up to 24 hours.
VARIATION:
Chocolate and Vanilla Pastry Creams: Make Pastry Cream through step 3. Divide the cream between two bowls. Add 4 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate to one bowl and let stand 1 minute until softened. Stir well. Cover both creams with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic against the surface of the cream, and chill.
From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Contribute to the Cook'n Club!
DVO would love to publish your article, prose, photography and art as well as your cooking, kitchen and nutrition tips, tricks and secrets. Visit the Newsletter Submission / Win Win for All section in our Forum for more information and details.
