Almond Sherry Christmas Trifle Recipes

ALMOND SHERRY CHRISTMAS TRIFLE

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Butter sheet pans, then line bottoms with parchment paper and butter parchment. Dust with flour, knocking out excess.
• Break up almond paste with your fingers into a food processor. Pulse until coarsely ground, then add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and process until very finely ground.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl and whisk in yolks, milk, and extracts.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. With mixer at low speed, add remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a slow stream. Beat at medium-high speed until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Fold one third of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Fold in remaining 3/4 cup flour.
• Divide batter between pans, spreading evenly, and rap pans against counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles. Bake cakes, switching position halfway through, until pale golden and springy to the touch, 16 to 18 minutes. Cool in pans until warm. Invert onto racks lined with parchment. Carefully peel off parchment from tops and cool completely.
• While cake layers cool, pulse preserves in cleaned food processor until smooth.
• Assemble trifle:
• Trim 1/2 inch from edges of 1 cake layer with a serrated knife to make a 14-by 9-inch rectangle, reserving trimmings; with short end nearest you, halve cake lengthwise. Brush top with some of syrup, then spread 1/4 cup preserves over each piece, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Beginning with a short end, roll up each piece tightly to form a log. Repeat with remaining cake layer. (You will have 4 logs total.)
• Spoon 1 cup custard into bottom of trifle dish.
• Cut 1 log into 5 rounds with serrated knife, then halve each round. Brush generously with syrup all over. Stand half-moons, curved sides up, around edge of trifle dish (at bottom), arranging them snugly and pressing against side to help them adhere. Tear reserved trimmings into pieces, then dip in syrup and arrange over custard in center of dish.
• Cut and brush remaining logs in same manner, arranging slices, curved sides down, against side of trifle dish above first layer (there may be some left over).
• Add remaining custard. Brush any remaining cake slices with syrup and arrange in center over custard.
• Chill trifle, covered, at least 8 hours.
• Make praline almonds:
• Have ready an unoiled sheet of parchment paper or lightly oiled foil.
• Heat almonds in a dry small heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until almonds are hot but not colored. Add confectioners sugar and cook, stirring and tossing, until almonds are lightly toasted and sugar glaze is caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes (not all sugar on almonds will melt completely). Immediately transfer to parchment, spreading in 1 layer. Cool completely.
• Make topping just before serving:
• Beat cream with Sherry and sugar until it just holds soft peaks. Spoon over top of trifle and sprinkle with praline almonds.

CHERRY-ALMOND TRIFLE

Steps:

• Make jam:
• Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until jam is thick, stirring often, about 22 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Cover and chill up to 3 days.
• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom with parchment; butter parchment. Blend almond paste and sugar in processor until mixture resembles fine meal, about 1 minute. Add butter and vanilla and blend well, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Blend in eggs 1 at a time. Using on/off turns, blend in flour, baking powder and salt (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan. Place pan on baking sheet; bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and top is golden, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack. Cover; let stand at room temperature 1 day.
• Make custard:
• Whisk 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Beat in yolks and vanilla. Gradually whisk in half and half. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and boils. Transfer to bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface; chill 1 day.
• Cut around pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides. Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers; discard parchment. Spoon thin layer of custard over bottom of 3- to 3 1/2-quart trifle bowl. Trim 1 cake layer to fit, if necessary; place in bowl. Spread with 1/3 of custard. Mix chopped cherries into jam. Spoon 1/3 of jam mixture atop custard; spread to edge of bowl so that jam shows. Top with second cake layer, half of remaining custard and half of remaining jam mixture; spread to edge of bowl. Top with third cake layer. Spread with remaining custard, then jam mixture.
• Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe cream in center of trifle. Pipe rosettes around edge; top rosettes with whole cherries. Sprinkle trifle with almonds. Cover; chill at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

CHRISTMAS TRIFLE

Steps:

• Slice the jelly rolls into 1-inch pieces. Line a glass trifle bowl with the sliced jelly rolls. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sherry over the jelly roll slices. Toss the raspberries with 1 tablespoon of sugar or to taste and spoon over the jelly roll slices.
• In a bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of sugar until smooth; whisk in the flour until thoroughly combined and free of lumps. Pour milk and half-and-half into a saucepan; heat over medium heat until the milk mixture is steaming hot but not simmering. Whisk about 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture until smooth; repeat, whisking the hot milk in thoroughly each time, until you have whisked in about 3/4 cup of the hot milk mixture. Whisk the milk-egg mixture back into the steaming milk in the saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Whisking constantly, heat the sauce until it is thickened and just at the point of simmering (do not boil sauce), 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons of sherry, and butter. Allow the sauce to cool for about 10 minutes, whisking often to avoid lumps.
• Pour the custard over the raspberries in the trifle bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and set, at least 2 hours. Garnish with dollops of whipped cream, more raspberries, and chocolate shavings if desired.

MARY'S ROYAL CHERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• First, make the custard. Tip the caster sugar, cornflour and vanilla into a mixing bowl and add the eggs and egg yolk. Whisk with a hand whisk until smooth and blended.
• Pour the milk and double cream into a pan and heat gently until hot, but do not boil. Pour this over the egg mixture and immediately whisk until blended. Wash the pan to remove any scum from the milk and pour the custard back into the clean pan. Heat gently, stirring constantly until thickened. Don't panic if the custard starts to look lumpy as it thickens, just continue to heat and whisk until the custard is thick and smooth. Pour into a jug and cover the surface of the custard with cling film to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside to cool.
• Tip the stoned cherries into a pan with half the jam or conserve and cook over a medium heat for 5-10 mins until softened and saucy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
• Spread half the slices of Madeira cake generously with the remaining cherry jam. Sandwich with the remaining cake slices, then cut in half. Pour the kirsch or brandy into a shallow bowl, dip each sponge sandwich into the liqueur, then arrange in the base of the trifle dish (you will need a shallow, straight-sided, 20cm round glass dish about 5cm deep). Line the edges of the dish first to create a stripy effect, then fill in the centre with the remaining sandwiches, pouring over any remaining liquid.
• Spoon over the cherries and any juice from the pan, then scatter over the broken biscuits. Pour over the cooled custard, then spread whipped cream over the top. Decorate with fresh whole cherries and chill for a few hours, or make it a day ahead and chill for up to 24 hours before serving.

CHERRY-ALMOND TRIFLE

Steps:

• Make jam: Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan.
• Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until jam is thick, stirring often, about 22 minutes.
• Transfer to small bowl.
• Cover and chill up to 3 days.
• Make cake: Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan.
• Line bottom with parchment; butter parchment.
• Blend almond paste and sugar in processor until mixture resembles fine meal, about 1 minute.
• Add butter and vanilla and blend well, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.
• Blend in eggs 1 at a time.
• Using on/off turns, blend in flour, baking powder and salt (do not overmix).
• Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Place pan on baking sheet; bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and top is golden, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Cool cake in pan on rack.
• Cover; let stand at room temperature 1 day.
• Make custard: Whisk 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan to blend.
• Beat in yolks and vanilla.
• Gradually whisk in half and half.
• Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and boils.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Press plastic wrap directly onto surface; chill 1 day.
• Cut around pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides.
• Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers; discard parchment.
• Spoon thin layer of custard over bottom of 3- to 3 1/2-quart trifle bowl.
• Trim 1 cake layer to fit, if necessary; place in bowl.
• Spread with 1/3 of custard.
• Mix chopped cherries into jam.
• Spoon 1/3 of jam mixture atop custard; spread to edge of bowl so that jam shows.
• Top with second cake layer, half of remaining custard and half of remaining jam mixture; spread to edge of bowl.
• Top with third cake layer.
• Spread with remaining jam mixture, if desired.
• Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Transfer to pastry bag fitted with star tip.
• Pipe cream in center of trifle.
• Pipe rosettes around edge; top rosettes with whole cherries.
• Sprinkle trifle with almonds.
• Cover; chill at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.