Blackberry sherry trifle
'In a changing world, the comfort of tradition counts for a lot,' says cook and food writer Jane Lovett. 'My latest book, The Get-Ahead Christmas Cook, is not about being cheffy or giving your cooking a lavish slant: it offers a realistic, attainable hand at a busy and often stressful time of the year, aiming to make it the fun it should be for everyone. Hosts included.' Almost no cooking is needed here. It is best assembled the day before (or even 2 or 3 days ahead) as it improves with age. Serves 8-10
Get ahead
Complete to the end of step 4 up to 3 days in advance, cover and chill
Hints and tips
Substitute other fresh fruit for blackberries, or use jarred or tinned fruit, drained.
This is an edited extract from The Get-Ahead Christmas Cook: The Indispensable Companion for Effortless Festive Entertaining by Jane Lovett (Headline Home, £28)
Ingredients
To Serve
Step 1
Find a glass bowl - the trifle should not quite fill it to the top. Mine has a capacity of 1.4 litres; it has a 20cm diameter and is 15cm high, including the pedestal.
Step 2
Put the blackberries into a pan with the sugar and ½tbsp water (omit if frozen). Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes iust until the juices run. Set aside.
Step 3
Slice the cake into thirds, horizontally, and spread two slices generously with jam. Sandwich the cake back together. Cut down vertically into lem slices. Arrange them flat in the bottom and slightly up the sides of the bowl. You will need to cut or break some to roughly fill in the gaps so that the layer is level-ish. Drizzle over the sherry and brandy.
Step 4
Spoon over the cooled blackberries, minus their syrup, then pour the syrup into a jug. Spread the custard over, covering the fruit completely. Cover and chill for a mini of 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Step 5
Any time on the day, lightly whip the cream until it forms very soft peaks. (You need to slightly under-whip as it will thicken as you spread it.) Spoon it in a mass of blobs over the custard, then join the blobs with a spoon or spatula. Cover and chill until serving.
Step 6
Just before serving, scatter with the toasted almonds and tumble over the extra fruit. Serve the trifle very cold from the fridge, with the syrup separately to accompany.
