Traditional Celebration Trifle

There are some things not to be messed with. Part of their pleasure is the tradition and nostalgia, and this is never truer than when we're talking about the classic English Trifle, which is one of the few times I'm an advocate of cutting the same culinary corners my mother, mother's mother and mother's mother's mother also used.

There's only one tiny modern modification that I've added, and that's the addition of a couple of spoonfuls of Chambord, a black raspberry liquor which I use instead of sherry.

This is one of our family's favourite puddings. There's something incredibly nurturing and celebratory about the combination of smooth creamy custard, and punchy raspberry jelly, and everything is better with cream. When our daughter had severe chicken pox and could barely swallow, her sad-eye request was for mummy's trifle. The girl lived off it for almost four days, and was the only time she smiled. That's the power of trifle. It's literally happiness in a bowl.

Traditionally, trifle is served on Boxing Day, New Year's Eve or any other family celebration day, such as birthdays, but honestly, if the weather is grey and you've got an afternoon to kill, most of the ingredients can be in permanent store aside from cream and milk, and it's the perfect mood enhancer.

Enjoy x


SERVES 10
COST £  (approx £8 - less than £1 a head)

INGREDIENTS: 

Trifle Sponges
Tin of raspberries in syrup (In this very rare case, tinned work better than fresh)
Raspberry Jelly squares
3/4 pint of boiling water
2tbsp of Chambord liquor
2.5tbsp of Birds Custard Powder
1 pint of milk
2tbsp of sugar
1.5 pints of Double cream, whipped until very stiff.
Sprinkles to decorate.

NOTE about the Bowl: kitsch vintage is best. Cut glass is transformed in candlelight, adding to the showgirl nature of this dish. If you haven't had a heavy crystal bowl passed down to you, then they are very often available at charity shops, car boots, and flea markets for just a few pounds. We use Jonathan's granny's bowl, and the sentimentality adds an extra layer of sweetness.


METHOD
1) layer the bottom of a heavy glass bowl with trifle sponges. Spoon out the tinned raspberries over the sponge and a couple of spoons of syrup over the sponge.
2) Make the jelly according to instructions, except reduce the amount of water slightly to ensure a good firm set. I use 3/4 of a pint rather than the recommended pint. Allow to cool slightly before pouring over the sponge mix. Set in the fridge until firm.
3) Whilst the jelly is setting, make the custard, according to the directions but instead of using 2tbsp to a pint of warm milk, use 2.5tbsp to ensure that it sets. When the custard is is thick enough to see spoon tracks, set aside in the pan, covering the top with clingfilm  (pressed against the custard) to stop a skin forming. Allow to cool. If time is short, place the custard in a bowl and then place the bowl on top of a bowl of ice, stirring continuously for about 5-7 minutes to take the heat out.
4) When the jelly is set and the custard is cool (but not cold enough to set) pour over the jelly base and return to fridge, where it can sit for about 2 hours.
5) Whip double cream until is is stiff and then spoon over the trifle, smoothing it.
6) Go crazy on the sprinkles.

SERVE with either a glass of Chamord and sparkling wine, or a glass of ice wine.

Snuggly, Creamy, Warm Rice Pudding...

On a cold winter's day, when the ice
is on the cars and the night has come in
early, the perfect remedy for the January blues
is the rich, creamy, indulgent hug that
old fashioned rice pudding gives you. 

My children love Rice Pudding, which was my completely self-interested excuse to make homemade rice-pudding. 

My mum was a great cook but she never really liked puddings and so didn't often make them, which is a bit like me now. However, one of my resounding memories of my childhood is my mum's homemade rice-pudding. 

Simply, one day, after years of me loving and eating the tinned rice-pudding (hot or cold) my mum produced a casserole dish from the oven and presented me with homemade rice-pudding. Perhaps it was its completely unexpected arrival that added that extra note of sweetness, but ever since, Rice Pudding as been one of my favourite non-pudding-sort-of-girl puddings. 

Then whilst we were in Copenhagen over New Year's Eve, every tea room and eatery we went in had a very special rice pudding dish on the menu, which when I first ordered it, I hadn't realised was something very specific to Danish Christmases. Which is why, when on Jan 2nd when I went to order it, I was told in no uncertain terms that Rice Pudding was finished for the year! It seemed that it was as ridiculous as me asking for Christmas Pudding in July.  

Rice Pudding, the Danish
Christmas way. We had this
in a tea-room in Copenhagen.
Served cold with almonds and
 a cherry compote, it's a very
 special celebration dish. 

In Denmark, it's served over the Christmas period, cold, creamy and with almonds, topped with a rich cherry compote. Next year, on our Christmas Eve's Eve Book Gifting Night (another tradition we've adopted from our beloved Denmark) I shall be making it the Danish way. 

But for now, whilst it's gloomy, grey, icy and snowy, the only way I can think of Rice Pudding is hot from the oven, baked with the caramelised bits around the edge and the nutmeg turning the top a golden brown. 

It's not a necessarily cheap dish to make but it's worth making indulgently if you're going to do it. There's no room for skimping on calories here. 

This is a mash-up recipe from my mum, who she thinks used a Delia Smith recipe all those years ago -but to be honest, no one can really claim to own the Rice Pudding recipe; it's been a nursery pudding for as long as time itself. 

INGREDIENTS: 

1/4 a packet of pudding Rice

1 standard can of Evaporated milk

1 pint of milk

30g of golden caster sugar 

25g of butter

1/2 a nutmeg

METHOD

Heavily butter line a heavy based casserole dish

Pour in the rice 

the evaporated milk

the milk

the sugar

the butter

Give it a good stir with a wooden spoon and place in the oven on 180 for around 40 minutes. Remove it and give it a really good stir, loosening the rice from the bottom. 

Grate half a nutmeg over the top and return to the oven, turning it down to about 120 for a further 40-50 minutes.

Serve immediately. 

TOP TIP, if left or you put left overs in the fridge, it has a habit of going solid as the rice takes up more of the liquid. Don't panic, get another ovenproof pan, spoon in the solid mass and break down with a fork, add about a cupful of milk and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes and it will be all good again.