Ultimate chocolate trifle

Here’s another from my collection of recipes for chocolate puddings and cakes.

Ingredients

Custard

• 3 egg yolks
• 40g caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 450ml full-cream milk
• 50g plain chocolate (85% cocoa solids or more)

Trifle

• 100g ameretti
• 4 tbsp liqueur (Amaretto, Tia Maria, Grand Marnier are all good)
• 425g can of pitted black cherries, drained
• 425g can of pears, quartered, drained
• 450ml double cream
• 50g plan chocolate, shaved into curls
• 12 plain chocolate truffles

Method

Custard:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, caster sugar, vanilla essence and cornflour until thoroughly mixed.
2. Heat the milk in a saucepan over a moderate heat until it’s steaming but not boiling.
3. Melt the chocolate in a basin over a pan of very hot water.
4. Whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture then return the entire mixture to the pan and cook over a low heat. Stir gently but constantly until the mixture thickens.
5. Stir in the melted chocolate.
6. Set the pan of custard in a larger pan of cold water (or in the sink) and stir until the custard has cooled. Don’t neglect the stirring or a skin will form on the custard.

Trifle:

1. Spread half the ameretti in a single layer across the bottom of a large, deep serving bowl. Sprinkle half the liqueur over the amaretti.
2. Spoon one third of the custard over the amaretti and level. Spread half the cherries and pear slices over the custard.
3. Repeat the layering: the remaining amaretti, the remaining liqueur, one-third of the custard, the remaining cherries and pears. Top the layer of cherries and pears with the remaining third of the custard.
4. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form, then spoon or pipe over the top of the trifle.
5. Decorate with the chocolate curls and chocolate truffles.
6. Chill the trifle for a couple of hours before serving.

I’ve written this up as the easy option. For an even more luxurious trifle, use 300g dried black cherries and four fresh pears.

The dried cherries should be soaked overnight in an additional four tablespoons of liqueur while the pears should be cored, peeled, quartered and poached. I’d suggest poaching the pears in one litre of water, with 250g sugar, a cinnamon stick, a split vanilla bean and a couple of whole cloves.