I’ll put my hand up right now, I’m not a huge fan of trifle. My husband however is something of a jelly monster as well as a custard monster and could eat a whole trifle if given the chance. Indeed, I’ve turned my back one afternoon to find an entire trifle completely demolished. So it is for him that I made this Raspberry and Lemongrass trifle. The recipe doesn’t actually call for the requisite jelly so I made some raspberry jelly and added it in. Trying it completely changed my mind about trifle. The sweet ever so slightly tart raspberries are gorgeous against the thick vanilla custard, cushioney sponge and velvety whipped cream. I couldn’t really taste the lemongrass in this recipe so overpowering were the luscious raspberries. And I couldn’t do a trifle without spreading a thin layer of raspberry jam. Overkill? Perhaps a little but a trifle is an exercise in just that.
Nigella’s Raspberry and Lemongrass Trifle
Trifle is the perfect thing to cook when you’ve got protracted time to busy yourself quietly in the kitchen. No one stage stakes long, but the whole needs to be lingered over. And if it sounds odd to suggest steeping the sponges in a syrup flavoured with lemongrass, I should say that I first had the idea when making a syrup with lemon balm for some jelly. If you’ve got a garden, this is easy to come by, but if you haven’t there is no way you can buy it. I tried, then, substituting lemongrass, weight for weight, and it worked beautifully. By the same token, if you have got verbena in the garden then do use that here. But since there isn’t a supermarket around that doesn’t major in lemongrass- and indeed its far more familiar to us that the indigenous lemon balm-this recipe, which first found shape in an Observer article on cooking traditional British foods with new “fusion” ingredients, is actually a good reminder that you can plunder the past without scorning the present.
- 600ml water
- 400g caster sugar
- 50g lemongrass, 3-4 sticks cut in half lengthwise
- 300g fresh raspberries
- 16 store bought ladyfingers/sponge fingers (I used a vanilla sponge cake)
- 3-4 tablespoons vodka
- 600ml single cream
- 8 egg yolks
- medium glass bowl or individual clear glasses
1. Make a syrup with the water and 325g of the sugar by bringing them to the boil in a saucepan and boiling for 5 minutes. Take the pan off of the heat. Add the lemongrass and let it infuse for about half an hour.
2. Strain the syrup into a measuring cup, keeping the saucepan with the lemongrass to one side. Take out about 150-200ml of the syrup and put it into a pan with the raspberries. Bring this to a boil and let it thicken slightly. Mash the fruit to create a jam like consistency. Let it cool a little and then dunk the ladyfingers in the raspberry mixture and arrange them in the bottom of your bowl. Add the vodka and about 100ml of the lemongrass syrup, depending on how much your ladyfingers absorb, and reserve the remainder.
3. Meanwhile, to make the custard, heat the cream in the syrup pan with the lemongrass until it is nearly boiling. Take it off of the heat and let it infuse for about 15 minutes, or so. Whisk the yolks and the rest of the sugar together and pour the cream into the same bowl. Then whisk again and put the custard back onto the heat in the cleaned-out pan. Stir until the custard thickens and then pour it over the trifle sponges. Let it cool.
4. Whip the heavy cream until thick but not too stiff. Cover the custard layer with this. Use about 1 cup of the remaining sugar syrup to make caramel by heating it in a saucepan until it turns a golden brown color. Drizzle the caramelised syrup over the layer of cream to decorate.
From Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson
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10 Comments | Add your own
Yum yum yum. I adore trifle! My Nanna almost always makes one when we visit her house for a meal - it may explain my “voluptuous” figure
Though i have found myself unable to eat cream in the last few years - any thoughts on a good alternative? Trifle is too good to miss out on just because of a silly food intolerance!
You spoil your husband!
I admit I’m not much of a trifle fan either.. which is strange because I love sponge cake, I love jelly and I love cream/custard… but just not together @.@
Hi Nic-Nigella Lawson herself is voluptuous so you’re in good company!
I did a bit of a search and found a dairy/gluten free alternative to cream and its in Melbourne (Mornington Peninsula)http://www.glutenfreefoods.com.au/
Let me know if you try it!
Hi Kathy-Haha I bet you spoil B too
So separately they’re good but together is not so nice? I am ambivalent about sponge and jelly but I like custard so I usually end up just eating the leftover custard and I love the custard skin! I suspect that’s a gross thing but I remember reading in an Adrian Mole book when he became a chef that he charged extra for the custard skin in his fictional restaurant.
Oh, snap! I totally make the most kickin trifle ever. I’m kind of crazy, and I make the cake, the custard, and everything homemade, except for the jelly, of course. It’s gotten to the point where my mother is like, you need to stop this mess and buy some dang cake.
Happy Thanksgiving!! Wait…
~Rachael~
I watched Nigella make a chocolate sour cherry trifle yesterday on SBS yesterday. I’ve never tried trifle before but hers had the melt-in-your-mouth sort of lightness look.
I’m tempted to make one for Christmas. Do you know how early in advance can I make it? Would the sponge get soggy if it’s made too early? Thanks!
Hi Rachael-Wow, you really go all out! I’m sure it does taste better when you make everything like you do. I’m just lazy when it comes to making the cake bit so I usually buy the cake. Plus I’m no expert on making sponges so I figure the bought is better than my effort. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Tian-I saw that episode last night too
Trifle is very lovely and light, especially if with a pillowy layer of whipped cream. I think you could make it a day in advance without the whipped cream and just add the whipped cream and shaved chocolate on the day. Trifle sponge is meant to be soggy and soaked so the day before is good for it, especially if you use older cake or even sponge finger biscuits (trifle was originally made with older cake that wasn’t fresh enough to eat on its own).
Thanks NQN! Seems that the lactose-free/non-dairy cream alternatives i’ve come a cross are no good for whipping
I was thinking perhaps some sort of vanilla or white chocolate mousse might work. Will let you know what i come up with!
Hi Nic-on that link is an actual dairy/gluten free whipped cream!
I am searching for a dessert recipe that Nigella made a little while ago. She froze banannas and raspberries and then whipped it all together. It looked delicious. If any one has the recipe or something similar let me know.
Hi Krystal-I haven’t seen that one and it doesn’t really ring a bell
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