Ingredients
Prep/Cook Time: 45-50 mins plus chilling time
Serves: 6-8
- 365g Fruit of the Forest mixed berries- defrosted by boiling & allowed to cool
- 180g Autumn fruit such as blackberries, plums etc cut into dice
- 3 matcha tea poached pears - recipe to follow
- 350g - Madeira cake - cut into small cubes
- 500ml custard
- 230g mascarpone cheese
- 30g caster sugar
- 3 tbsp Creme de Cassis liqueur
- 135g block blackberry jelly or raspberry if you can’t get blackberry
- 125g blackberry jam
- 200ml double cream - whipped to soft peaks
- Grated dark chocolate and toasted flaked almonds to garnish
- 4 pears
- 4 matcha tea bags
- 700ml water
- 50g caster sugar
Method
- For the poached pears, combine the tea, sugar and water in a pan and stir to dissolve. Place the pan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse.
- Peel, core and cut the pears into 4 wedges. Remove the tea bags and add the pears to the pan, reheat until simmering. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the pears to cool in the liquid. Store the pears in the liquid until required.
- Once required, drain the liquid and keep 600ml for making the jelly. Store the rest in the fridge. Cut the pears into bite-sized chunks
- Bring 600ml of the pear cooking liquid to the boil and pour over the jelly block to dissolve. Stir well and add the Creme de Cassis.
- Mix the jam and cooled berry mix together and place in the bottom of the trifle bowl. Liberally place the chunks of pear around the dish, pushing into the berries. Scatter the Madeira cake over the mix and like the pears push down into the berries. Do the same with the autumn fruit.
- Carefully pour over the jelly mix and gently push the cake and fruit down using the back of a spoon. Pour in enough to cover the fruit and cake mix and to come about two thirds of the way up your dish. Place the mix in the fridge and allow to set.
- As the jelly is setting then place the custard, mascarpone and sugar in a bowl and whip together until smooth. Spoon over the set trifle, cover with cling film and return to the fridge.
- When ready to serve, spread the whipped cream over the top and garnish with the grated chocolate, toasted almonds and serve.
Tips:
- You can use whatever frozen berries you prefer but make sure you bring them to the boil in a pot and then allow to cool for food safety reasons.
- To save on time and unwanted stress do the majority of the work the day before.
- The pears work really well poached in earl grey tea also. Exact same method.
- I like to garnish mine with crushed shop bought meringues also just for the added crunch.
