Christmas Pavlova Cherry Trifle

I had in my mind that Christmas dessert this year had to be a trifle. I had a love/hate relationship with trifle. I hate jelly because when I was a kid my dad was a food scientist at a gelatine company and all we got for dessert was jelly. I don't mean nice jelly I mean packet jelly (I'm traumatised I tell you). But Mr NQN loves the stuff and it is the sort of large dessert that only really has an occasion like Christmas as it feeds a dozen people. This one has cherries, pandan custard, whipped cream, cherry jelly (I placed that layer on the bottom so I could avoid scooping it up) and meringues in the centre and on top.

Christmas Pavlova Cherry Trifle

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus cooling/setting time

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 12 people

• 500g/1.1lbs fresh cherries, pitted (frozen ones also work), divided
• 1 large Swiss Roll (I used a matcha Swiss roll from Bread Top)
• 600ml/21flozs cream (thickened or pure)
• 3 tablespoons caster or superfine sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 2 x 680g/24ozs jars morello cherries, drained, reserve juice
• 125g/4ozs fresh raspberries
• 50g/1.7oz mini meringue kisses (you can buy these or make them)

For custard

• 5 egg yolks
• 1.5 cups/375ml/13flozs milk
• 1.5 cups//375ml/13flozs cream
• 3 tablespoons cornflour/fine cornstarch
• Pandan essence (or vanilla bean paste)

For Jelly

• 2 cups of juice from the morello cherry jars
• 75g/2.6ozs caster or superfine sugar
• 10g/0.3ozs gelatine powder

Step 1 - First make the custard as it takes a while to cool down. Whisk the egg yolks, milk, cream and cornstarch together. Then gently heat on the stovetop until it becomes creamy and can coat the back of a spoon. You'll need a bit of patience with this but keep it on low to medium heat and stir to prevent this from catching. Lastly stir in the pandan or vanilla. You can also do this in a Thermomix - add all ingredients into the TM bowl and set to 7 minutes/90C/ speed#4. Cover the surface with cling film and cool completely (it takes a couple of hours in the fridge). You can do this step the day before.

Step 2 - Then make the jelly layer. Heat up 1.5 cups of the morello cherry juice with the sugar and dissolve the sugar. Sprinkle the gelatine over the remaining half cup of juice and allow to sit for 5 minutes to bloom. Add this mixture to the rest of the juice and mix well to combine. Cool for 20 minutes and then pour into the trifle bowl along with 250g/8.8ozs of pitted cherries. It should set in an hour or so. You can also do this step the day before.

Step 3 - When it comes to the day of assembling and serving, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla bean paste until you get soft peaks and keep in the fridge until needed. Place half of the custard on top of the set jelly.

Step 4 - Then slice the Swiss roll into six even slices - all 6 should just fit around the inside circumference of your trifle bowl. Fill the gaps with fresh raspberries. Fill the inside with half of the drained cherries. Then add some cream on top and a layer of mini meringues. Add the rest of the cherries then add the other half of the custard. Top with the whipped cream and remaining cherries and meringues. I also added some macarons and golf leaf.