Ingredients
300 g frozen mixed berries
160 g caster sugar
500 ml clear apple juice
2 Tbsp strawberry jam
9 sheets gold-strength gelatine
1 vanilla bean
4 Tbsp cornflour
Extra 150 g caster sugar
6 egg yolks
680 ml full-cream milk
450 ml pure cream
Extra 6 Tbsp strawberry jam
50 ml water
2 large store-bought Swiss rolls, thinly sliced
2 x 250 g punnets strawberries, hulled
120 ml dry sherry
300 ml thickened cream
1 Tbsp icing sugar mixture
50 g flaked almonds, toasted, to serve
Method
- Put berries, sugar, apple juice and jam in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to the boil. Simmer for 4 minutes. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put gelatine sheets in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Stand for 5 minutes or until softened. Strain and gently press all juices from fruit (you should have about 700ml of liquid). Squeeze water from gelatine, then add to hot strained berry liquid.
- Line a 27 x 18 slice tin or shallow plastic container with plastic wrap. Pour ½ of the liquid into base of a large trifle bowl. Pour remaining liquid into prepared tin. Refrigerate both trifle bowl and tray with jelly for at least 6 hours or until jelly is set.
- Using a sharp knife, split vanilla bean through centre and scrape out seeds. Put seeds in a large bowl, then add cornflour and extra sugar. Add egg yolks and whisk until combined. Put milk, cream and vanilla bean in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove vanilla bean, then pour hot liquid into egg mixture, a little at a time, whisking after each addition. Return mixture to saucepan and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Transfer custard to a large bowl set over a large bowl of iced water, stirring occasionally, until cooled.
- Put extra strawberry jam and water in a small bowl. Stir until jam has thinned slightly. Spread jam on 1 side of each slice of Swiss roll. Turn out jelly from tray, then chop into large pieces.
- Arrange Swiss roll slices, jam-side down, over jelly in base of trifle bowl and around edges of bowl, jam-side facing out. Slice ½ the strawberries into rounds and add to trifle, with a few around side of bowl. Drizzle over dry sherry, then pour over cooled custard. Add chopped jelly around outer edges of bowl. Return trifle bowl to fridge for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight if time permits, to allow flavours to develop.
- Put thickened cream and icing sugar in a large bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Spoon cream on top of trifle. Slice remaining strawberries and scatter over cream. Sprinkle over toasted almonds to serve.
