Season’s Greetings from Inigo!

What’s a festive feast without a trifle? Actually, ignore us; such a silly question frankly doesn’t deserve an answer. Instead, let us point you towards the only recipe we’ll be using this holiday, courtesy of JR Ryall (whose recent baking book, Ballymaloe Desserts, Iconic Recipes and Stories from Ireland, is one of our top gift ideas this year).

JR Ryall’s apple and blackberry trifle

“This slightly less traditional trifle is lovely in autumn as well as winter. It can be prepared in advance, leaving the finishing flourish and decoration until just before serving.

This recipe calls for Irish Mist – a whiskey- and honey-based liqueur that pairs very nicely with apple – though sweet sherry would also work well. You’ll need a trifle bowl with a volume of about 1.75 litres.

If you need to make this gluten-free, make the sponge using Doves Farm’s gluten-free sponge mix by following the instructions on the packet, skipping the relevant steps below.”

Ingredients
For the sponge:
3 large eggs, separated
225g caster sugar
80 ml water
140g plain flour
½tsp baking powder

For the apple and blackberry compote:
6 eating apples, peeled, quartered, cored and sliced 3mm thick
110g fresh or frozen blackberries
110g caster sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
3tbsp Irish Mist liqueur

For the custard:
500ml cream
A pinch of salt
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways, or 1tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
55g caster sugar

To assemble and decorate:
3-6tsbp Irish Mist liqueur
250ml cream
30g chopped pistachios

Method
To make the sponge, preheat the oven to 190°C. Brush the inside of two 20cm round cake tins with melted butter and line the base of each with a neat-fitting disc of baking paper. Dust the buttered sides of each tine with flour. Alternatively, line a 35×25 cm rectangular cake pan with baking paper.

Place the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and turn on to a low speed. Gradually blend in the water and increase to full speed. Whisk until the mixture increases in volume and becomes a thick pale mousse, about 10 minutes.

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Using a rubber spatula or a large metal spoon, fold the flour, one third at a time, into the egg mousse. Reach down to the bottom of the bowl each time you fold to loosen any flour that has sunk to the bottom.

Whisk the egg whites in a spotlessly clean bowl until they hold a stiff peak. Fold the whites into the cake mixture and immediately transfer to the lined tin(s), before placing in the centre of the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, until each cake is light golden and springs back in the centre when gently touched. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

To make the compote, place the apple slices and the blackberries in a small stainless-steel saucepan. Add the sugar, lemon juice and three tablespoons of water, cover with a lid and cook on a low heat until the apples are soft but not broken, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and stir in the Irish Mist liqueur.

To make the custard, put the cream, salt and vanilla pod, if using, in a heavy-based saucepan. Warm on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just below boiling point. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for five minutes.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks with the sugar for one or two minutes until thick and light. If using vanilla extract, add it to the egg mixture at this point. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, stirring with a whisk all the time.

Pour the custard mixture, including the vanilla pod, into a clean saucepan and place on a low heat. Stir constantly and patiently with a flat-bottomed wooden spoon, keeping a close eye that the custard never boils. Eventually the custard will begin to thicken slightly. To test if it’s ready, lift the wooden spoon out of the custard and run your finger across the back of it, it should be thick enough to cling to the spoon and leave the trail your finger made. Alternatively use a thermometer to monitor the temperature: when the custard reaches 82°C,  it’s ready.

Remove from the heat and immediately pass the custard through a fine sieve. Allow to cool to room temperature.

To assemble, spoon a small amount of the apple and blackberry compote into the base of the trifle bowl to cover the base, followed by a few spoonfuls of the room temperature custard. Cut a piece of the sponge cake to neatly fit on top of the custard; the shape of your trifle bowl will dictate what size and shape you cut the cake. Sprinkle over one or two tablespoons of Irish Mist liqueur. Spoon half of the apple compote over the sponge, allowing the juices to soak into the cake. Now spoon a third of the custard over the apple and blackberry layer.

Cut another piece of sponge to neatly fit on top of the custard, using off-cuts of the cake to patch if necessary. Sprinkle another couple of tablespoons of Irish Mist liqueur over the sponge and spoon the remaining apple compote on top. Use the remaining sponge to cover the apple. Sprinkle a little Irish Mist over the sponge and pour over the remaining custard. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to set overnight.

The next day, whip the cream to soft peaks and spread over the top of the trifle. Sprinkle on the chopped pistachios just before serving.