Sherry Trifle With Brandy Custard Recipes

Steps:

• Put yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until mixture is pale and thick, 2 to 3 minutes. On low speed, beat in flour and salt. Gradually beat in half of warm milk.
• Pour milk-yolk mixture into remaining milk in pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl.
• Transfer to an ice-water bath; let cool, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla and brandy. Place plastic wrap on surface. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 days.
• Beat cream just until stiff peaks form. Fold into pastry cream. Place 7 ladyfinger halves at bottom of a 12-cup trifle dish; spread with one quarter of jam. Pour in one quarter of sherry. Spoon one quarter pastry cream on top. Sprinkle with one-third each almonds and amaretti. Repeat layering 3 more times (last layer does not need almonds and amaretti). Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, whisk egg yolks and sugar until blended. Stir in 1-3/4 cups cream. Cook over low heat about x-x minutes or until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and a thermometer reads at least 160°, stirring constantly but gently, about 10 minutes. Do not allow to boil. Immediately transfer to a bowl. Place bowl in an ice-water bath for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate until cold., Place cake cubes and crumbled cookies in a 3-qt. glass bowl. Drizzle with sherry and brandy. Layer the raspberries, strawberries and peaches over crumbled cookies; spoon custard over fruit. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour., In a large bowl, beat remaining 1-1/4 cups cream until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon over custard; sprinkle with almonds.

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.

Steps:

• Put 750g frozen summer fruit in a pan with 200g caster sugar and 1 litre water and bring to a gentle simmer.
• Cook for 2 mins, then scoop out 6 tbsp fruit and 150ml juice. Now carry on cooking the fruit in the pan for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, soak 9 sheets leaf gelatine in cold water to soften it. If you have a hand blender, blitz the cooked fruit or mash with a potato masher, then strain through a sieve into a large bowl and push through the pulp so just the skins and seeds are left.
• Squeeze excess water from the gelatine, add to the hot fruit syrup and stir to dissolve. Cool, then chill until on the point of almost setting.
• Make the custard according to pack instructions with 75g custard powder, 1.2l milk and 50g caster sugar to create a really thick custard. Cover the surface with baking paper while it cools a little.
• Pile 1½ - 2 cubed madeira cakes into a trifle bowl, spoon over the reserved juice and berries, then 4 tbsp sherry or cassis.
• Pour over a thick layer of custard, pushing it against the side of the dish to seal in the cake below. Leave to cool and set with a skin - this makes a barrier for the jelly.
• When the custard is cold and set, and the jelly is on the point of setting, spoon the jelly over the custard and chill until ready to complete.
• Whip 300 - 450ml double cream with 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tbsp icing sugar until just holding its shape, then spoon round the bowl over the set jelly. Scatter with 2 crushed amaretti biscuits and chill until ready to serve.