Blairgowrie & Rattray Hub Magazine Winter 2023

MRS B’S KITCHEN
CHRISTMAS RECIPE
CRANBERRY TRIFLE
with Cointreau (optional)
Hello again everyone, it’s “the time to be Merry”. Most love the good old trifle so here is a
recipe that I hope you will like. It’s my husband’s favourite.
You will need :
• 250g fresh cranberries
• 150g golden caster sugar
• Half a pack of sponge fingers
• 3tbsp Cointreau, if using
• 8 tbsp fresh orange juice
For the custard :
• 568ml pot of double cream
• 1 vanilla pod, cut in half lengthways
• 6 large egg yolks (you can save/freeze the
egg whites for meringues)
• 2 tsp cornflour
For the topping:
• 284ml pot of whipping cream
Put the cranberries in a small pan with 150ml of cold water, keep a few cranberries for
decoration. Bring to the boil, then simmer uncovered for 5 mins. Stir in 100g of the sugar and
simmer for a further 10 mins until the fruit is tender. Allow to cool slightly. Arrange the sponge
fingers in whatever dish you want to put your trifle in and pour the Cointreau (if using) and the
orange juice all over. Spoon the warm cranberries on top and leave to cool.
Pour the cream into a small pan. Scrape out
the seeds from the vanilla pod and add these
and the pod to the cream. Place the pan over a
low heat and bring to a simmer, remove from
the heat and take out the pod.
Place the egg yolks, cornflour and the
remaining sugar in a heatproof bowl and
pour the warmed cream over whisking it
continually. Pour it back into the pan and
continue to whisk it over a low heat until the
custard thickens, then take it off the heat and
allow it to cool slightly. Pour the custard when
cooled over the cranberries and sponge. Cut
out a piece of greaseproof paper to the size of
your dish, dampen it and cover the custard and
leave to cool.
Whip the cream for the topping until it holds its shape, not too stiff, remove the greaseproof
paper and spoon the cream over the custard. Decorate the top with cranberries and maybe
toasted almonds if liked or anything else you might like.
As I say you may wish to leave out the Cointreau or use another liqueur but bear in mind you are
using orange juice over the sponge fingers. I have not experimented making this trifle with other
fruit, juice or liqueur but you might like to have a go. You can make the trifle a day in advance
without the cream topping and keep it covered in the fridge and then top with the cream to
serve.
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