A Time For Decadence.

I know, I know.

I have completely gone crazy with desserts this festive season, haven’t I? (I’ve made maybe twenty desserts the whole of this year. And this is dessert number four in three short weeks- that’s not even counting the fruit cake that will make an appearance here some time in the next week.)

But I really couldn’t help but sneak this sweet number is.

I haven’t, if I’m being honest here, always been a huge fan of trifle. Never really given it much thought actually. That was, until I was served an incredibly delicious plate of black forest trifle last Christmas.

Deliciously chocolatey and moist, that trifle singlehandedly changed my perception of trifle as just a mishmash of leftover cake, custard and whipped cream. So much so that when I came across a recipe for a chocolate trifle in Melissa Clark’s book, there was no doubt that that was what I was gonna be making for our annual Christmas party this year.

I won’t kid you. Making it wasn’t quite as effortless as layering cake and whipped cream. In fact, it involved making brownies, chocolate pudding, macerating berries (I used frozen berries and thought they could benefit for macerating in some vanilla sugar) and then whipping up some cream before layering them all together. Which kinda just requires reading and re-reading the recipe carefully and a whole lot of stirring, whisking and folding.

I couldn’t resist making myself a mini serving of the trifle as I was putting it all together, you know, for a little taste testing before the guests starting streaming in.

Unsurprisingly, the trifle was just layers upon layers of decadence and deliciousness, with moist brownies, lusciously smooth dark chocolate pudding, slightly tart macerated berries and lightly sweetened whipped cream. I literally had one spoonful of my mini trifle, swooned all over it and saved the rest to savour after the party, which my dad and I polished off in no time the day after.

I certainly had my fill of desserts and then some this festive season but this is definitely the one that will be filling my dreams until next Christmas. But until then, it’s with this sweet little number that I wish you one and all a very merry Christmas! May this festive season bring you and your loved ones peace, joy and heaps of deliciousness!

Chocolate and Mixed Berries Trifle [Adapted from Melissa Clark's In the Kitchen With A Good Appetite]

Notes: I know the ingredient list and directions run a little long but it really isn’t all that hard and much more manageable if you tackle it one layer at a time. I made the brownies and pudding and macerated the berries the night before the party so all I had to do with whip the cream the day of the party and layer it all up. The original recipe calls for a bowl of 4 litres (or 4 quarts capacity). I used a 1 1/2 litres capacity bowl and ended up with enough to make three mini trifles with about one-third of brownies left over (which wasn’t a bad thing at all, judging by how quickly the brownies disappeared). Also, I made a bunch of adaptations to the recipe; I omitted cocoa powder from the sweetened whipped cream and chopped chocolate because all the chocolate would have taken the trifle over the top. I also drastically reduced the amount of sugar in the brownies as I used dark chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate the recipe calls for. And it all worked out beautifully, which to me is just one of the beauty of a seriously good trifle.

Ingredients
Brownies
250g unsalted butter, cubed
90g dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp rum

Chocolate pudding
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
2 tbsp cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1 3/4 cups milk, divided
1/2 cups heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
150g dark chocolate, finely chopped
30g unsalted butter, chopped
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Macerated mixed berries 
250g berries
1 tbsp vanilla sugar

Whipped cream
2 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup icing sugar

1. To make brownies Grease the oven to 175C. Line a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan with baking paper and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter.Remove the saucepan from heat when the butter has completely melted. Add the finely chopped chocolate and let it stand for half a minute before stirring till a smooth chocolate mixture forms. Stir in the cocoa powder and caster sugar.
3. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla in, whisking the mixture constantly. Fold the flour and salt in until just combined.
4. Tip the batter out into the prepared pan, smoothening the top. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with crumbs clinging. Remove from the oven.
5. Using a fork, prick the top of the brownies all over and brush with rum. Let cool completely before unmoulding from the pan.
6. To make chocolate pudding Mix the caster sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk in 3/4 cup of milk and set aside.
7. In a saucepan, heat the remaining 1 cup of milk and cream until it comes to a boil. Whisk the hot milk mixture into the cocoa mixture and return it all to the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, making sure not to let the mixture boil.
8. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Slowly pour in the hot chocolate mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens, about ten to fifteen minutes, making sure not to let it boil. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and let it cool slightly.
9. Melt the finely chopped chocolate with the butter, stirring till smooth. Let the melted chocolate mixture cool slightly before stirring it into the thickened egg mixture. Pour the chocolate pudding through a sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in the vanilla. Place plastic wrap directly against the top of the pudding to keep a skin from forming and chill until set for at least three hours.
10. To make macerated berries Stir the berries and vanilla sugar together and let it stand for at least thirty minutes.
11. To make whipped cream Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream and icing sugar together until soft peaks form. Keep chilled until ready to use.
12. To assemble Cut the brownies into 1-inch squares and place a layer of brownies in the bottom of a glass bowl with at least 2 litres (or 2 quarts) capacity. Top with one-third of the chocolate pudding, a third of the macerated berries and followed by with a third of the whipped cream. Keep layering in that order until all the ingredients have been used. Serve immediately or chill for up to 24 hours before serving. Serves 10 to 12

Posted by thecoffeesnob on December 25, 2011

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