This is the first dessert my children learned to prepare and it gave them immense satisfaction to produce a grown-up dessert visitors invariably loved. It is so simple and your local supermarket should have regular supplies of everything needed here.
A chocolate Swiss roll is ideal, but any bought cake will do including left over cupcakes. A Cadbury’s Crunchie bar adds crunch to an otherwise mushy texture, but you can basically adapt this recipe to suit what is in your larder if a visitor arrives unexpectedly. Be sure to substitute the sherry with orange juice if serving this to children.
Ingredients
1 chocolate Swiss roll
1 bar Cadbury’s Crunchie
1 tin of pears
3 tablespoons sherry
6 chocolate chip cookies
225g carton of whipping cream
Directions
1. Slice the Swiss roll into 3cm slices and use them to line the base of a round glass dish.
2. Drain the juice from the pears. Add the sherry to a half glass of juice and use half of this to dampen the cake.
3. Slice the pears and place evenly over the cake.
4. Break up the biscuits and scatter on the cake. Place the Crunchie in a plastic bag and break up into medium sized chunks (about 2cm ) either by hand or with a rolling pin. Scatter the broken pieces of Crunchie over the cake and biscuits.
5. Add another layer of Swiss roll slices on top. Dampen this with the sherry and juice and allow the cake to absorb the moisture before the final stage.
6. Whip the cream until it reaches a piping consistency. Spread a layer on top of the trifle and decorate as you wish. I piped out some cream and sparingly dribbled chocolate sauce over before adding two chocolate leaves to the central rosette. No need for a piping bag if you are short on time — simply run a fork around the cream and sprinkle with chocolate strands.
Mary E Coen, www.goddessmeca.com Facebook: goddess Meca
Twitter @goddessmeca
