Raspberry Orange Trifle
Trifle can be traced back to mid-nineteenth-century England as a dessert consisting of biscuits soaked in wine, layered with custard, and topped with whipped syllabub–a sweet cream with added acid. Today there are countless versions of Trifle, many incorporating fresh berries for color and taste. In the place of the original biscuits many recipes use sponge cake or pound cake, often soaked in sherry. Sweetened whipped cream has replaced syllabub.
In the delicious Raspberry Orange Trifle recipe below, Italian ladyfingers, the type used in tiramisu, are used for the biscuit / cake element. As the trifle is constructed the ladyfingers are brushed with just enough of an orange syrup to moisten them. These ladyfingers can be found in most supermarkets or specialty food stores.
Additional moisture, flavor, and color is provided by the fresh raspberries and the orange segments. The custard is a basic cornstarch-thickened vanilla bean custard. For the top, I use a generous layer of whipped cream, garnished with raspberries and toasted almonds.
In a beautiful footed glass trifle bowl this is a perfect dessert for a holiday buffet or sit-down dinner. A side of raspberry sauce is a nice accompaniment.
Raspberry Orange Trifle
| Yield: 1 8-inch trifle | # of Servings: 10 |
Ingredients:
- 1 box (7 oz / 200 g) Italian ladyfingers1
- 1 recipe Simple Syrup
Fruit:
- Segments from 5 navel oranges
- 3 pints red raspberries
Custard:
- 3 cups (24 fl oz) heavy cream
- 2 ¼ cup (18 fl oz) milk
- ¼ cup (1.75 oz / 50 g) sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 12 egg yolks
- ¾ cup (5.25 oz / 149 b) sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
- ½ cup less 1 tbl (2 oz / 57 g) cornstarch
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Finishing:
- 1 ½ cup (12 fl oz) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (1.1 oz / 31 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted.
Special tools and equipment needed:
- One 8†by 5†glass trifle bowl2
- One 3-qt heavy bottom sauce pan
Pre-recipe preparations:
- Prepare orange supreme slices: Food Wishes Recipes – How to Make Orange Supremes – Technique for Orange Supremes – YouTube.
- Save juice from above.
- Flavor ½ cup of simple syrup with fresh orange juice to taste. Set aside
Directions:
Making the custard:
- Place heavy cream, milk sugar, and vanilla bean in heavy-bottomed 3 qt saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and let vanilla bean steep in the liquid.
- Place egg yolks, sugar, salt, and cornstarch in medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Remove the vanilla bean halves from the cream mixture.
- Bring the cream mixture back to the simmer over just below medium heat.
- Temper the egg yolks by slowly whisking in 1 cup of the hot cream. Pour the warmed egg yolk mixture into the saucepan while whisking continuously.
- Cook the custard while continuously stirring the bottom and sides of saucepan, as that is where it will start to thicken first.
- Once it reaches the boil, allow to bubble for 45 seconds. Remove from the heat.
- Whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into clean heat-proof bowl, and place a piece of plastic film directly against the custard, to prevent a skin from forming.
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes. It is easier to assemble the trifle while the custard is still warm.
Assembling the trifle:
- Place a single layer of orange segments against the edge of the glass bowl.
- Place ladyfingers on the bottom of the trifle bowl, brush lightly with the orange syrup. Sprinkle raspberries and a few orange segments on top.
- Cover with a third of the of custard, spreading out to the edge of the bowl.
- Press a layer of raspberries against the bowl. Place another layer of ladyfingers and brush lightly with orange syrup. Sprinkle raspberries and a few orange segments on top.
- Cover with another third of custard, spreading out to the edge of the bowl.
- Place a single layer of orange segments against the edge of the glass bowl. Repeat with the ladyfingers, orange syrup, and fruit and final third of the custard.
- Place remaining ladyfingers on top and brush lightly.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Finishing:
- Whip the cream and sugar until just stiff.
- Pipe or spread over the top layer of the trifle.
- Decorate with toasted almond slices and raspberries.
Notes:
1 Italian ladyfingers, such as the Vicenzo brand, are firm biscuits often used in Tiramisu.
2 Inexpensive trifle bowls are available from Sur la Table, both in-stores and online, as well as at Amazon.
