Paper Palate

Nigel Slater’s Food Diaries again, this time for trifle. Not appearing until July the recipe for ‘Nigel’s Delightful Trifle’ uses blackcurrants as the fruit base. Of course none available in a late evening raid into Waitrose so blackberries substituted. Hang the air miles, these Mexican berries were big, juicy and flavoursome with three punnets supplying more than enough fruit to cover the plain sponge cake.

This is just one recipe of several that I have sampled over the year, but one of my favourites. If you have not seen this book (Oh man, the photos are exactly the style I wish I could take) it really should be on your Christmas list. If we were having a top books of the year style award, this would have to be my number one.
[Available from Amazon.co.uk for £14.98 and Amazon.com for $26.40]

The recipe:

• 350g plain sponge cake
• one egg separated
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 250g mascarpone cheese
• couple drops vanilla extract
• 250ml double cream

The fruit layer

• 475g blackcurrants/blackberries
• 4 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp caster sugar

Simmer the fruit, water and sugar until plenty of juice is created, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Break the sponge into pieces and push into the bottom of a serving bowl. Spoon the fruit and juice over the top and allow to cool.

Mix the egg yolk and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the mascarpone and vanilla. Whip the cream until the soft peak stage and fold into the cheese mix. Beat the egg white until stiff and fold this in too. Spoon over the fruit and chill.

A classic English pudding. This trifle is rather good mind, but next time a little cassis, adding an alcoholic punch, may just splatter the sponges before the fruit is added. Just wish I thought of its addition while making it rather than literally 30 seconds ago…