Vera's Sherry Trifle

This is one dessert that I can clearly remember from my childhood – it probably even enticed me to be a chef. My mum always made this for special occasions and I just loved helping, especially with the cleaning of the bowls… Now I like to decorate the top with pomegranate seeds to make it sparkle like jewels.

  • 200g (7oz) Madeira cake, broken into pieces
  • 300ml (½ pint) cream
  • toasted flaked almonds, to decorate
  • pomegranate seeds, to decorate
  • spun sugar, to decorate (optional)
  • For the custard:
  • 300ml (½ pint) milk
  • 100ml (3½fl oz) cream
  • ½ vanilla pod, split in half
  • lengthways and seeds scraped out
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 4 tbsp caster sugar
  • 2 tsp cornflour
  • For the fruit:
  • 100ml (3½fl oz) sweet sherry
  • 100g (4oz) caster sugar
  • ½ vanilla pod, split in half
  • lengthways and seeds scraped out
  • 1 x 500g (18oz) bag of frozen fruits of the forest

1 To make the custard, put the milk, cream and vanilla pod and seeds in a heavy-based pan set over a gentle heat and cook until it nearly reaches the boil – but don’t allow to boil. Meanwhile, put the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a large bowl and whisk together until pale and thickened.

2 Remove the hot milk and cream mixture from the heat and slowly whisk it into the egg mixture through a fine sieve until smooth. Discard the vanilla pod and pour back into the pan,

then set over a gentle heat. Cook, without allowing it to boil, until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, covered with a piece of cling film pressed directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming on top.

3 Meanwhile, prepare the fruit. Put the sherry in a large pan with the sugar and vanilla seeds and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4–5 minutes, until syrupy, stirring occasionally. Stir in the frozen fruits of the forest and set aside until cooled, stirring occasionally. The fruits should defrost naturally in the hot syrup but still hold their shape.

4 Scatter the Madeira cake over the base of a 1.5 litre (2½ pint) glass serving bowl. Spoon over the fruit and cover with the cooled custard. Chill for 1 hour, until the custard sets a little firmer, or up to 24 hours is fine.

5 When ready to serve, whip the cream in a bowl until you have achieved soft peaks. Put spoonfuls on top of the custard, then gently spread with a palette knife or the back of a spoon to cover the custard completely (or you can use a piping bag). Sprinkle over the toasted flaked almonds and pomegranate seeds and decorate with some spun sugar if liked, then place straight on the table to serve.

Festive Sticky Gingerbread with Butterscotch Sauce

This pudding is perfect to serve at Christmastime. It can all be made the day before and drizzled with a little of the butterscotch sauce, then left to cool and chill, covered with cling film until needed. Warm in a medium oven to serve, reheating the rest of the sauce in a small pan or in the microwave

SERVES 6–8

  • 250g (9oz) pitted dates, chopped
  • 400ml (14fl oz) boiling water
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 250g (9oz) light brown sugar
  • 150g (5oz) butter, softened, plus
  • extra for greasing
  • 3 large eggs
  • 25g (1oz) stem ginger in syrup,
  • drained and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 350g (12oz) self-raising flour
  • 2 tbsp treacle
  • 100g (4oz) walnuts, roughly chopped

For the butterscotch sauce:

  • 175g (6oz) light brown sugar
  • 100g (4oz) butter
  • 250ml (9fl oz) cream
  • 3 tbsp golden syrup
  • 1 tbsp treacle
  • ½ tsp sea salt flakes

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4). Butter a 1.5 litre (2½ pint) baking dish.

2 Put the dates in a heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water, then stir in the bicarbonate of soda and soak for 10 minutes.

3 Using an electric hand-held mixer, beat the sugar and butter in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Add the stem ginger and ground ginger along with the flour, treacle and date mixture and beat until evenly combined. Finally, fold in the walnuts.

4 Transfer the batter into the greased dish and bake in the oven for 45–50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. If you think it’s becoming too brown close to the end of the cooking time, cover with foil. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

5 Meanwhile, to make the butterscotch sauce, put the sugar in a heavy-based pan with the butter, cream, golden syrup and treacle. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then allow to bubble for a couple of minutes, until you have achieved a smooth sauce. Stir in the salt.

6 Pour some of the butterscotch sauce over the warm pudding and put the rest into a jug to serve alongside.