Winter Trifle with Blackberries
Serves: 8
Ready in: 60 mins +
Trifle is a firm favourite on the Christmas menu. This winter-themed version is made with blackberries and, as an optional extra, can be flavoured with sloe gin or your favourite liqueur. The wonderful thing about trifle is it can be adapted to meet all dietary preferences, including vegetarians or vegans!
Ingredients:
For the sponge:
100g aquafaba (liquid drained from canned chickpeas) 100g caster sugar 100g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 25g ground almonds 40g dairy-free spread, melted finely grated zest of ½ lemonFor the jelly:
50g bramble jelly 3g agar agar (half a sachet)For the custard:
2 tbsp custard powder 568ml semi-skimmed milk (or non-dairy milk if making this dish vegan) 2 tsp sugar 250g blackberries, cut in half 50ml sloe gin or liqueur of choice (or fresh orange juice)To serve:
150ml whipping cream or non-dairy creammethod:
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line an 18cm rectangular cake tin with baking parchment.
- For the sponge, whisk the aquafaba in a bowl with an electric whisk until stiff. Gradually add the caster sugar and continue whisking until the aquafaba is stiff and glossy.
- Place the flour, baking powder and ground almonds into a bowl and mix well before adding the whisked aquafaba and sugar. Stir through the melted non-dairy butter and lemon zest.
- Pour the sponge mix into the cake tin and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the surface of the cake is firm to touch. Remove from the oven and place the cake on a cooling rack until cool.
- For the jelly, place the bramble jelly into a saucepan with 250ml of water and agar agar. Bring to the boil and cook for three minutes. Boiling activates the agar agar so it will set firm. Pour the liquid bramble jelly into a small dish so it can set as a slab. Leave the jelly to cool and set; about half an hour.
- Make up the custard according to the instructions on the pack. Whisk the cream until stiff.
- To assemble the trifle, cut the sponge and the jelly into small cubes about 1cm across, and place in the bottom of either one large trifle bowl or individual glass serving dishes. Sprinkle the sloe gin, liqueur or orange juice over the sponge and jelly. Pour over the custard and allow to cool before dotting with whipped cream just before serving.
