Method

Recipe as featured in our first cookbook, Eggstravaganza. Available online at the Clarence Boutique here.

Start by making the jelly. Separate the gelatine leaves and soak in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes or until softened. Pour the wine into a medium sized saucepan with 40g caster sugar. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer then turn off the heat. Squeeze the water from the gelatine and stir into the liquid. Arrange 300g berries in the bottom of a trifle bowl and pour over the gelatine mix. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge to cool and set for 5 hours but ideally overnight.

Place the remaining fruit in a saucepan with 40g caster sugar. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for a few minutes. Mix with a squeeze of lemon juice and 100g icing sugar then leave to cool. Once the jelly is set, make the custard. Pour the milk and cream into a medium sized saucepan with the lemon zest and vanilla bean paste. Heat on low until steaming but not boiling. Meanwhile place 75g sugar, cornflour and egg yolks into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until the yolks look pale and fluffy. Whisk a little of the warm milk into the egg yolk to loosen then whisk the rest in a steady stream. Once all mixed together, pour the custard back into a clean pan and stir on a low heat until it’s coating the back of the spoon. Transfer to a clean mixing bowl, cover with a circle of greaseproof paper and allow to cool.

To make the Italian meringue, place the sugar and 70ml water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil on a high heat (keep a sugar thermometer handy to check the temperature, it needs to reach 120C.) Add the egg whites to a clean, free-standing mixer bowl and whisk until light and frothy. Check the temperature of the syrup. When it’s ready, keep the mixer running and pour the syrup in a steady stream into the egg whites. Once all of the syrup is added, keep whipping the meringue until it’s voluminous (for about 2-3 minutes.)

To build the trifle, take the set bowl of jelly from the fridge. Slice the Madeira sponge into 3cm cubes and smash the shortbread. Arrange the sponge on top of the jelly and top with the crushed shortbread. Spoon the custard over, then drizzle the berry sauce and sprinkle the remaining berries. Spoon or pipe the Italian meringue over the custard and use a blow torch to caramelise the meringue a little. Sprinkle with crystallised petals and serve.